Where is Celebrity Masterchef filmed? 2023 filming location of BBC show

If you’ve been wondering, where is Celebrity Masterchef filmed then we’ve got the answer - as well as details of the new studio for 2024.

The latest series of the BBC cooking show hit our screens on 2 August, and this year’s line-up of contestants features a stellar cast including rapper Apl.de.Ap from Black Eyed Peas, The Inbetweeners’ James Buckley, singer Jamelia, broadcaster and journalist Terry Christian, The Wanted’s Max George and Emmerdale’s Amy Walsh. 

And while the cookery show is due to get a location change next year, moving 125 miles from London to the Midlands, you can rest assured that the presenters - John Torode and Gregg Wallace - aren’t going anywhere.

Where is Celebrity Masterchef filmed? 

Celebrity Masterchef has been filmed at 3 Mills Studio, an old brewery in East London, since 2014. Before the series was filmed there, a halls of residence in London City University was used.

3 Mills Studio, which is between West Ham and Bromley-by-Bow tube stations in Newham, is a popular studio for other hit shows and stage productions, including RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Hulu’s The Great and Sky Atlantic’s The Third Day.

The space has also been used by renowned filmmakers Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire, The Beach) and Terence Davies (Benediction, Distant Voices, Still Lives).

With its nine filming stages, 11 theatre rehearsal spaces, and over 75,000 square feet it’s no wonder hundreds of TV commercials and music videos have been shot there.

Celebrity Masterchef: 2024 filming

Production of Celebrity Masterchef will move from London to Birmingham in 2024 - the first time it’s been made outside the capital in more than two decades. The popular series will be filmed at the new Digbeth Loc Studios, which was founded by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.

Digbeth Loc Studios was a bunch of unused Victorian buildings until it was renovated into a modern, state-of-the-art studio complex. It has three film studios, production offices, and construction workshops spanning 80 000 sq.ft of regenerated space.

A six-year deal with the Birmingham-based studio will see other Masterchef spin-offs including Mastechef, Masterchef: The Professionals and Young Masterchefs being filmed there.

Speaking to I Am Birmingham, Strategic Director for Place, Prosperity and Sustainability at Birmingham City Council, Paul Kitson, said the move would help regenerate Birmingham. 

He said: “Digbeth is a fantastic part of our great city, boldly showcasing everything great about our past, present and future – it really is one of the leading creative quarters, not just in the UK, but internationally.”

Masterchef UK: Behind-the-scenes secrets 

• Filming begins early at 7.30am and continues until around 8pm. Finish times can even be 11pm during the finals. Setting up shots takes time, meaning a lot of waiting around for contestants.  
• When cooking their own dishes, contestants give producers their recipes in advance, to ensure ingredients are available. Although it looks like they're rushed into starting to cook, they're actually given plenty of time to set up and find what they need.
• Meals made by the contestants are usually cold when judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace taste them. The pair sample the food while it is being cooked, which is not shown on air. 
• To avoid waste, the crew are allowed to eat anything left over.
• During the invention test, contestants legitimately don't know which ingredients they'll be dealing with, meaning they have no advance planning.
• There is sometimes a gap of several months between filming the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Contestants have to sign a non-disclosure agreement, promising not to reveal any details during the wait.    
• Gregg Wallace's weight loss in recent years has impacted his role on the show. His cholesterol was high, and his Dr recommended it. His Dr even recommended he chewed and spat out the food, to avoid ingesting too many calories and harmful food that could increase his cholesterol.

When is Celebrity Masterchef usually filmed? 

Celebrity Masterchef can be filmed up to six months in advance. The show is always filmed a few months in advance, and the non-disclosure agreement contestants sign means they are unable to reveal they are taking part until an agreed time.

This means it isn’t always clear when the series is filmed, as nobody involved can give it away. The show is usually filmed in advance to enable the celebrities to take part. Filming over several months and in advance of the air date, minimises schedule clashes. Most of the celebrities are unable to commit to taking a large chunk of time away from work for filming. 

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