Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Nitin Ganatra dedicates Celebrity MasterChef appearance to late mum
There is a TV show called Celebrity MasterChef where famous people cook on the BBC.
An actor named Nitin Ganatra is on the show this time.
He is cooking to honour his mum, who passed away and was, in his words, "the best cook in the world."
When he was a boy in Kenya, he ate foods like cassava, yam and mangoes picked from trees.
He learned to cook poppadoms when he was just seven years old.
His mum's garlic pickle is still one of his favourite family recipes.
Nitin does not eat meat or fish, and because he has pre-diabetes he is trying to cook healthier food.
He now uses less oil and swaps sugar for dates in his Indian cooking.
His comfort food is a curry made with a tin of Heinz beans.
He also just won a big acting award, Best Actor at this year's ACTAs, for the show Apnas.
Nitin Ganatra is competing in the second week of the 2026 series of BBC's Celebrity MasterChef.
He dedicated his appearance to his late mother, whom he called "the best cook in the world."
His fellow week-two contestants are Donna Preston, Emily Steel, Eric Underwood and YouTuber TommyInnit, judged by Grace Dent and new judge Giorgio Locatelli.
The lifelong vegetarian, who is pre-diabetic, said he has undergone a "food revolution" toward healthier cooking, using dates instead of sugar.
Born in Kenya, he learned to cook poppadoms at age seven and recently won Best Actor at this year's ACTAs for the crime drama Apnas.
- Who
- Actor Nitin Ganatra, alongside week-two contestants Donna Preston, Emily Steel, Eric Underwood and YouTuber TommyInnit, with judges Grace Dent and Giorgio Locatelli.
- What
- Ganatra is dedicating his Celebrity MasterChef appearance to his late mother and sharing his cooking background and healthier "food revolution."
- When
- Second week of the 2026 series, following his Best Actor win at this year's ACTAs.
- Where
- BBC's Celebrity MasterChef kitchen; Ganatra was born in Kenya.
- Why
- To honour his late mother, whom he described as "the best cook in the world."
- Show
- Celebrity MasterChef 2026 (BBC)
- Dedication
- Late mother, described as "the best cook in the world"
- Week 2 contestants
- Nitin Ganatra, Donna Preston, Emily Steel, Eric Underwood, TommyInnit
- Judges
- Grace Dent and Giorgio Locatelli
- Recent award
- Best Actor at this year's ACTAs for Apnas
- Role
- Aslam Khan, a taxi driver and father in Apnas
- Diet
- Lifelong vegetarian and pre-diabetic, tries to eat "clean"
- Cooking roots
- Born in Kenya; learned to cook poppadoms at age seven