After seven long weeks of intense competition, the final of MasterChef 2026 has arrived, and tonight one of the three exceptional cooks remaining took home the trophy.
Judges Anna Haugh and Grace Dent chose the three cooks for a reason, but to get their hands on the trophy, they needed to pull out every stop imaginable – and a few more.
In tonight’s final, the judges tasked each cook to prepare their best three courses possible in three hours. The plates had to be technically perfect in terms of flavour profiles and execution, and crucially, they had to show progression beyond anything served to date.
After an intense final and plenty of delicious dishes, Jhané was crowned the MasterChef 2026 champion.
Jhané beat fellow finalists Kristen and Matt, before she was awarded the coveted trophy during tonight’s final.
She triumphed in a final showdown that impressed the judges with her bold flavours and confident food identity drawn from the family parties she grew up enjoying.
Reacting to her MasterChef win, Jhané said: “I am a MasterChef champion! Those words feel so funny coming out of my mouth, but I am ecstatic, and I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been happier.
“It has been the journey of a lifetime, being part of this incredible show, and I can’t wait for all the exciting things that are coming next. I hope this trophy shows that if you go after your dreams, it might just pay off.”
And there is plenty more MasterChef on the way, with the celebrity edition arriving this summer.
It was recently confirmed that Giorgio Locatelli would be joining Grace Dent as a new judge on the upcoming season of Celebrity MasterChef.
Locatelli said: “Hosting Celebrity MasterChef alongside Grace is a real honour. I can’t wait for you to see what our celebrity contestants bring to the kitchen, as we are really putting their culinary skills to the test in this series.”
Dent added: “Giorgio Locatelli is a fabulous addition to our UK Celebrity MasterChef team. I’m a long-time admirer of his work and was a huge fan of Locanda Locatelli; for many years, it was one of my happy places to eat.
“I couldn’t be happier to combine our shared joy, passion, and expertise for food. I also love an opportunity to serve up a heavy dose of glamour in the MasterChef kitchen, and I have a feeling Giorgio is going to give me a real run for my money.”
The latest batch of celebrities taking part in the series will be announced in due course.
MasterChef is available to watch on catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
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