Nine became six in the first semi-final of Celebrity MasterChef, which saw the contestants travel back in time to cook a meal fit for the Brontes.

Jimmy Osmond, Audley Harrison, Cherry Healey, Neil Back, Alexis Conran, Tommy Cannon, Reverend Richard Coles, Louise Minchin and Sid Owen all turned up to work in their wellies and headed off to Yorkshire, where they were tasked with cooking a feast for 70 members of the Bronte Society.

They had to impress these guys
They had to impress these guys (BBC)

The ambitious task meant working with 19th century ingredients and – Great British Bake Off style – cooking in a marquee kitchen.

It was chaos. Pastries were soggy, lamb joints proved difficult to saw, and there was even a mini-fire.

What were the Bronte fans – all decked out in period dress – going to make of this?

Considering what was going on in the kitchen, viewers thought the Bronte fans’ optimism was a tad misplaced.

John Torode even got a bit of Heathcliff about him as he implored the Red team to get it together and work out how to cook the fish.

Gregg Wallace declared: “It’s a bit like a novel, this. You just don’t know how it’s going to end.”

But there were some viewers who were pretty impressed…

…And luckily, the Bronte gang were, too.

Next, it was time for the celebrities to serve up a dish using their favourite ingredient. There were chips piled up to resemble jenga towers and mini haggis balls wrapped in potato and everything.

At the end of the day it was goodbye to Cherry, Neil and Tommy. Only six left…

(BBC)
(BBC)