I was on MasterChef and here’s what it’s really like behind the scenes from cold food to no makeup, says Lisa Faulkner

LISA FAULKNER has spilled secrets from the MasterChef kitchen as the series prepares to make its return. 

Lisa won Celebrity MasterChef back in 2010, and has been married to judge John Torode since 2019. 

So if anyone knows how the show works on both sides of the series, it’s Lisa. 

The major secret she shared was that John and co-judge Gregg Wallace aren’t getting as good a deal as it looks, with all the delicate dishes they try often being served cold due to filming schedules. 

“It’s always cold, or room temperature – it’s not freezing, but it’s pretty cold – because they’ve taken photos of it and had to stop, walk out the room, critique it,” she said. 

Also: yes, it is as terrifying as it looks, and you have little to no help from people behind the camera, even on the celebrity version. 

“Going and doing it, I remember thinking a) I was going to have makeup, and b) they were going to stop and talk to me and say ‘let’s cook’ and help give me ideas,” Lisa explained. 

“I had no idea that you literally walked in, stood on an X – they tell you what you are doing and then you start cooking.

“I was literally waiting for someone to come up and help me. It’s like, there’s nothing. It’s terrifying!” 

For those who are taking on the challenge (or at least thinking about it), Lisa has encouraged you to pay attention to one massive thing: timing. 

During her time on the show, Lisa admits she let timing get the better of her at points, and it almost cost her the title. 

“At home when you’re testing yourself you set a time and think ‘I’ve done it in the time, that’s fine. I definitely feel I’ve five minutes to plate up’,” Lisa told us. 

“Then you think ‘I don’t need five minutes to plate up, I only need two or three’, and you keep pushing it, keep pushing it and suddenly they’re saying ‘stop cooking’ and you’re like ‘what? no!’ and try to throw things together at the last minute. It goes so fast.” 

Over the years, John and Lisa have combined forces to work on cooking classes and sharing recipes together. They also host Weekend Kitchen together.

Lisa is currently working with Ocado, helping to provide delicious meal inspiration.

Her latest campaign for Ocado is FILL YOUR FREEZER – all about using frozen ingredients to save time, money and reduce food waste. She’s whipped up three recipes using some of Ocado’s Own Range, to create tasty weeknight dinners. You can find her recipes here – www.ocado.com/freezerrecipes.