\'MasterChef\' have banned the winner from claiming their trophy during the coronavirus crisis.
The BBC cooking competition - which is fronted by Gregg Wallace and John Torode - will reveal this year\'s winner on Friday night (17.04.20) having pre-recorded the series, but bosses keep hold of their trophy until after the show has been aired and keep it safe in the studio.
However, since filming the government lockdown has restricted the contestants from coming into contact with BBC bosses and as a result, the victor will have to wait until the guidelines have been lifted before they collect their prize.
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A source told The Sun newspaper\'s Bizarre TV column: "It\'s a real shame that crew weren\'t able to pick up the accolade in advance as, for the winner, the trophy is the celebration.
"Because the series is pre-recorded months in advance, there is a lot of secrecy surrounding who the winner is, so it\'s safer to keep hold of the trophy to avoid the news getting out and ruining the surprise for viewers at home. Bosses are planning to wait to courier it to them as soon as possible, but it\'s the first time this has ever happened in the show\'s 16-year history."
The latest episode saw remaining contestants, crime and fraud prevention worker David Rickett, technology consultant Sandy Tang, banker Thomas Frake, and interior designer Claire Fyfe travel to the island of Mauritius to cook alongside renowned pastry chefs to impress the judges.
Gregg recently admitted he was "chuffed" \'Celebrity MasterChef\' finished filming before the lockdown.
The 55-year-old judge has praised the team behind the BBC One star-studded cook-off, who worked extremely hard to wrap up the series before the country restricted movement to help prevent the spread of the deadly respiratory disease.
Gregg explained: "We\'re chuffed that we finished it! And it really was all hands on deck to get it done."
18 January 2026 - 3:38 AM
