BBC Celebrity MasterChef 2022: Who is Ryan Thomas, how to watch and full line-up

It’s that time of year again as Celebrity MasterChef returns to television screens up and down the country.

Manchester-born actor Ryan Thomas is on the show this year and he’ll hope to follow in the footsteps of Paralympic athlete Kadeena Cox, who was crowned champion in 2021.

With an average of 4.4 million viewers on the last series, Celebrity MasterChef is incredibly popular in the UK, and there’s a lot of anticipation for this year as 20 huge names take to the kitchen.

Here’s everything you need to know about Celebrity MasterChef 2022, including who Ryan Thomas is, what the full line-up is and how to watch it on TV.

What is Celebrity MasterChef?

Celebrity MasterChef is the celebrity version of the competitive cooking reality TV show MasterChef. The programme, which first aired in 2006, sets out to find the UK’s best celebrity cook.

Some of the UK’s most well-known personalities face one another in the kitchen as they hope to impress judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode with their dishes. From carbonara to chilli con carne to tofu, it’s all about cooking up a storm.

Sometimes things don’t quite go to plan, but it all makes for great entertainment. Last year, Megan McKenna, Penny Lancaster, Melanie Sykes, Patrick Grant, and Nabil Abdulrashid all failed the simple task of making a pancake. It was hilarious.

Who is Ryan Thomas?

Ryan Thomas is a 38-year-old former actor from Manchester, best known for playing the role of Jason Grimshaw on ITV soap opera Coronation Street from 2000 until 2016.

More recently, in 2018, Thomas played Rafael Humphreys in Australian soap Neighbours, before reaching new heights of fame and popularity as he won the 22nd and final series of Celebrity Big Brother later that year.

Thomas announced he was quitting acting in March 2021, explaining he had lost the passion he once had for it. He now enters the 17th series of Celebrity MasterChef as a contestant.

Ryan isn’t the only famous person in the Thomas family, as his brother Adam Thomas used to play roles in Waterloo Road and Emmerdale. Another brother of his - Scott Thomas - took part in Love Island 2015.

What is the full lineup for Celebrity MasterChef 2022?

John Torode and Gregg Wallace will be judging the culinary capabilities of the following celebrities in Celebrity MasterChef 2022.

• Adam Pearson, actor & campaigner
• Chris Eubank, former boxing world champion
• Clarke Peters, actor
• Cliff Parisi, actor
• Danny Jones, musician in McFly
• Faye Winter, reality TV personality
• Gareth Malone OBE, choirmaster & broadcaster
• Jimmy Bullard, former professional footballer
• Kae Kurd, comedian
• Katya Jones, dancer & choreographer
• Kirsty Gallacher, presenter & model
• Kitty Scott-Claus, drag performer
• Lesley Joseph, actress
• Lisa Snowdon, presenter & fashion model
• Mel Blatt, singer in All Saints
• Nancy Dell’Olio, lawyer & media personality
• Paul Chuckle, actor & comedian
• Queen Mojo, social media personality & dancer
• Richard Blackwood, actor & rapper
• Ryan Thomas, actor & reality TV star

How to watch Celebrity MasterChef on TV

Celebrity Masterchef started on Wednesday 10 August and it will continue to be aired throughout the next few weeks on BBC One, with times varying by day. It will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

The week commencing Monday 29 August sees Ryan Thomas, RuPaul’s Drag Race star Kitty Scott-Claus, actor Adam Pearson, Strictly dancer Katya Jones, and model and presenter Lisa Snowdon take to the kitchen.

All the details including the full schedule for Celebrity MasterChef can be found on the BBC website.