Ginger Johnson wins Celebrity MasterChef and does it unapologetically: ‘Nobody expected me to be good at it – even me’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Ginger Johnson is riding high. Fresh from being crowned Celebrity MasterChef champion, the drag superstar has added yet another trophy to her shelf, proving that her talents extend far beyond the stage.

Competing in full drag throughout the competition, Johnson delivered high-end cooking under intense pressure – and beat a fiercely competitive field to take the title.

Speaking to us after her win, Ginger reflects on the relentless graft that got her there, why showing up unapologetically as herself on primetime TV still matters, and taking her talents on the road for her Show Pony tour.

How are you feeling now that you’ve won? Has it sunk in yet?

I feel amazing. It still hasn’t really settled in, to be honest. And I think you can see in the show the moment where they announce that I’m the winner, and it was such a shock. I was so surprised, the standard was so high. Both Alun Wyn [Jones] and Dawn [O’Porter] cooked amazing food all the way through the competition, and it really wasn’t something that I was very, very confident in going into the competition. So to get to the end and then to win was just out of this world.

You’ve said you went into it expecting more of a laugh. At what point did you start to see yourself as a genuine contender?

After the first few episodes were filmed, there was a little break while the other heats were happening. I came home from filming, put my bags down on the floor, and said to my partner, “I’m really sorry to tell you this, but I’ve decided that I’m going to win.”

From then on, every single moment that I had across the building period was dedicated to getting to that point. There was one day when I was touring around doing my gigs at the same time as filming. I came home at about 1am and had to leave again the next afternoon. I got up at 6am and between six and midday I cooked three pork roasts and a cake because it was the only time I had to work on it. I love a project. I love to really get my teeth into something, and this was that for me this year.

You’ve already won Drag Race. Did this win feel different, and if so, why?

Definitely different. Drag Race is its own animal. It’s completely its own thing. Drag Race was very stressful because when you go on, you’re telling the world, “I think I’m good at this thing,” and your whole professional reputation is sort of on the line.

With MasterChef, nobody expected me to be good at that. Even me. I didn’t really expect myself to be that good at it. That meant I could throw caution to the wind and really enjoy myself and try to get the best out of it. It wasn’t so much that I wanted to get to the end so I could win – it was that I didn’t want to miss out on the amazing challenges, the experiences, and the chefs we got to work with. It was just so, so fun.

You competed in full drag throughout the competition. What was the decision behind that?

Well, they booked Ginger Johnson, so that’s who was going to turn up.

Also, there’s something to be said for being a visibly queer person in the media right now, and I’m happy to be that person. I was always going to have more fun doing it as Ginger. I’m quite a boring little man, really, when I’m not in drag, and it would never have been as fun for me or anybody else.

I might have regretted it at some points when I could feel the bead of sweat trickling down my back from the giant wig I was wearing, but those are the breaks. I’ve been doing this nearly 20 years now, so I’m used to it.

Cooking for chefs with multiple Michelin stars sounds terrifying. How did you stop that from getting into your head?

I’m quite hardy, I’ll say that. There’s so much to do, and it’s so stressful, and you really are up against the time – and it’s real. Some people have suggested that maybe there’s a bit of leeway because we’re celebrities, but that’s not the case. When the time is up, the time is up. If you haven’t done your thing, it’s not going to be there.

So you’ve really just got to get your nose to the grindstone and get on with it.

You’ve spoken about wanting to represent the community on such a mainstream show. What do you hope people take away from watching you?

It’s a big dream, but this is what I hope. I hope that LGBTQIA people out there – and everybody else – can see me being my fabulous self on TV, being unapologetically me, succeeding and thriving, and see that if you put your mind to it, you can do it.

Has the win given you confidence to try things you might not have dared before?

Absolutely. I’ve won two trophies on the bounce now, which is pretty good. Better than that is three in a row, and I’m gunning for it. I’ve got a hit list of things.

It’s not so much about the programmes as it is about the experiences. There are things I think would be fun that I’ve never done before. I’d probably be too scared in real life, but drag gives you that confidence.

You’ve just won MasterChef and now you’re heading out on a major UK tour. What can fans expect?

I’m really excited to get back down to the basics of who I am as a performer and share my strange view of the world. The show is called Show Pony. A show pony is a certain type of character – someone who really thrives in that moment in the spotlight.

One of my favourite things about this part of my career, which has really taken off in the last few years, is that it’s connected me with so many people who recognise a little bit of their own weirdness in me. We can all go to the theatre and be weird together, and that’s a really lovely thing.

• Show Pony will tour across the UK from September 2026 through to February 2027. Tickets are available from www.gingerjohnson.co.uk.
• Celebrity MasterChef is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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