I only started watching Celebrity Masterchef about three years ago but look forward to it as a kind of background entertainment.However, as with most TV of this genre nowadays, the whole thing is needlessly dragged out to fill the schedules.This became more evident when I watched an old series from 2008. In those days it was almost breathless in its urgency. Stripped to the bone, nothing but the tasks. For example episode 1 (60 minutes) managed to cover two sets of celebs doing three tests. In 2016 this would have been stretched over two nights and probably taking at least 120 minutes to do the same job.This isn't a criticism of Masterchef, more a general moan about what we have grown used to accepting in 2016 compared to just a few years ago.At least Masterchef is on the BBC so we don't have to endure the endless recaps and 'coming ups' that you get on the commercial channels.

Celebs cooking. Shouldn't be that entertaining really, should it? And yet somehow every year Celebrity Masterchef gets under my skin and hooks me in for another year. I don't know how it does it but it does.The format is as old as the ark and the 'twists' can be seen a mile away but somehow the sight of some bloke from Corrie dropping a chicken in a posh eatery manages to keep me entertained throughout the summer months when lets face it, there's nothing much else on anywhere.Gregg and John don't really add much but they are as welcome as the thick custard they have to pretend to like.So give it ago one year. Much like sugary food the show is oddly addictive.