Actress Chizzy Akudolu has become the latest famous cook to leave the kitchen on Celebrity MasterChef 2018.
The Holby City star failed to win over judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode with her two-course menu in the final challenge of Thursday’s episode.
Both judges singled out her cottage pie topped with cheesy sweet potato mash and honey roast carrots for being too sweet.
Torode remarked it was unlike any cottage pie he had ever had before.
Torode and Wallace commended Akudolu for plating up two dishes in the show’s final challenge.
She was forced to change her dessert to apple pancakes from crumble after getting her timings wrong.
However they called her out for burning some of her pancakes and for serving them with pre-made custard.
After her exit Akudolu, who plays surgeon Mo Effanga in the BBC hospital drama, said: “I am bit gutted that I didn’t get to perform better.
“This is a lot more challenging than I thought it would be. But worthwhile as well. I’m going to look back on it with fondness.”
Through to compete for a place in the semi-finals are England cricketer Monty Panesar, Paralympian Stefanie Reid, comedian Zoe Lyons and reality TV star Gemma Collins.
Former The Only Way Is Essex star Collins admitted she was out of her cookery comfort zone and jokingly described herself as “queen of the roast dinner”.
She added: “I’m not here to mess around, I do really want to improve my cooking skills. Who knows, I could be the next Nigella.”
Collins served up gambas pil pil (prawns in olive oil, with chilli and lemon) and a seafood linguine in a tomato and caper sauce for her final offerings.
Torode described her main dish as “a crowd-pleaser” and Wallace added he was impressed with her progress at this stage of the competition.
On getting through, Collins said: “I really, really feel emotional that I’ve got through something for the first time in my entire life, like a competition.”
Torode said the accolade of dish of the day went to Reid for her rib eye steak and rosemary and thyme sauce.
The judges’ opinions differed on her dessert of rice pudding vanilla cheesecake with blueberry compote. They agreed though that she had the makings of “a cookery star”.
During the episode the celebrities took part in a service in a professional kitchen.
Panesar, Reid and Akudolu tried their hand at modern Peruvian cuisine in a central London restaurant. Collins and Lyons helped out in a Greek restaurant.
Celebrity MasterChef continues on BBC One on Friday at 8.30pm.