Andy Grant has become the first contestant to be dismissed from the new series of Celebrity MasterChef.
The retired middle distance runner was eliminated by judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace after serving up overcooked lamb and struggling to perfect a red wine sauce.
He said he was “absolutely gutted” to be the first person booted off the BBC show.
“My competitive juices were just starting to get going,” Grant said, adding that it had been a “great experience”.
The opening episode saw Grant, designer Dame Zandra Rhodes, Strictly professional Oti Mabuse, retired footballer Neil “Razor” Ruddock and former The Only Way Is Essex star Joey Essex making their own sausages, serving in real restaurants and preparing their favourite dishes for Torode and Wallace.
Grant sailed through the sausage challenge and coped with whipping up chargrilled octopus starters at The Coal Shed restaurant in London.
But he came unstuck when it came to his lamb fillet, creamy mash, carrots and courgettes.
Both judges said the meat was dry and overcooked and Torode told the runner his sauce was “letting him down”.
A total of 20 celebrities signed up for the new series of the cooking programme.
Other contestants include Adam Woodyatt, Vicky Pattison, Martha Reeves and Love Island star Dr Alex George.
Challenges include invention tests and a pairs task in which two stars must join forces to cook an identical dish without seeing each other.