Celebrity MasterChef 2025: Ginger Johnson out of drag 'looks just like Dermot O'Leary'
Fans reckon This Morning star's a dead ringer for the RuPaul's Drag Race UK winnerCelebrity MasterChef 2025 contestant Ginger immediately makes an impression in the series opener with her huge biscuit earrings and Battenberg cake dress. But what does the beloved drag queen look like out of drag?
This Morning presenter Dermot O’Leary, according to some fans of the BBC Three entertainer!
Ginger – full name Ginger Johnson – impresses judges John Torode and Grace Dent early in the series’ first episode, as part of the first week’s Celebrity MasterChef 2025 line-up. She rustles up chicken skewers with satay sauce, after selecting hidden ingredient peanut butter under the closh in the inaugural challenge.
Clearly a talented individual, Ginger tells Grace that she used to be a rugby player, but gave up after an accident, explaining: “I used to be a hooker, funnily enough, and then the scrum collapsed on me, I hurt my neck… and I became a drag queen.”
But what else do you need to know about Ginger – alongside those comparisons with Dermot O’Leary? Read on…
What is Ginger Johnson known for?
Ginger Johnson won series 5 of BBC Three cult show RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2023, after a successful career spanning 15 years as a cabaret artist and theatre creative. Ginger’s theatre credits include: Down The Rabbit Hole; The Queen’s Head; Escape From Planet Trash. The drag artist also starred as Captain Hook in a West End production of Peter Pan last year. Other TV work includes her 2024 BBC Three show Ginger’s House.
What is Ginger’s real name?
Ginger’s actual name is Donald Marshall. Ginger came to life after Donald came out as gay while a student at Newcastle University, and began doing drag. Donald wrote a radio play about the women in the northeast that they’d grown up with – they are from Lanchester, in County Durham. Without access to any actresses, they did the voiceover! That’s how the drag life started.
Ginger told the BBC after her Drag Race win in 2023: “When I was a kid, I wanted to be a pantomime dame. I knew they had the best outfits, the best jokes and got the biggest applause. That’s all I wanted.
“I’ve always been a show-off. I was that nerdy kid with no friends who did magic shows in my local library – my first memory of making people laugh.”
What Ginger says about her stint on Celebrity MasterChef
“I am a competitive person and that frightens me because if it doesn’t go well I might just have to have a tantrum,” she admits.
“I’ve no idea what John and Grace will make of me as a cook to be honest. I’m just gonna get them laughing and maybe that will keep them on-side.
“I’ve never really cooked in drag before so that’s going to be an interesting experience.”
Did Ginger really play rugby?
Absolutely, as Donald. They played for the Newcastle Falcons and has previously said: “I often joke that being a drag queen and being a rugby player are very similar: they involve a lot of physical pain, and it’s quite aggressive.”
How old is Ginger on Celebrity MasterChef?
Ginger is currently 37 years old (born in 1988), having celebrated her most recent birthday on September 26.
What does Ginger look like out of drag?
Now, this is where we get to those comparisons with Dermot.
In drag, Ginger describes herself as ‘a Helium balloon in the shape of a woman’. Out of costume, the TV talent sports a shaven head and has a cheeky smile and twinkly eyes…
Reddit user Lavender Acid posted, while watching Ginger on RuPaul’s Drag Race: “Tell me I’m not the only one who sees Dermot O’Leary every time I look at Ginger Johnson.”
“I was saying this when I first saw them lol. Same mannerisms and voice, it’s unreal. I had to Google to see if they were brothers.”
A third commented: “My boyfriend said this tonight and then I came on Reddit and saw this. I couldn’t be happier.”
What do you think? Anyone else seeing Dermot in his Big Brother’s Little Brother era?
How to follow Ginger on Instagram
You’ll find Ginger on Insta here using the handle houseofjohnson.
Ginger told her near-100k followers about Celebrity MasterChef last month, quipping: “Anyone for a sausage surprise?
“Well here you have it! I’m heading into the iconic MasterChef kitchen for the brand new celebrity series, coming soon to BBC One and iPlayer
“You know what they say about kitchens – if you can’t stand the heat… you probably shouldn’t have worn 4 pairs of tights and a big hairy hat.”
Celebrity MasterChef 2025 episodes 1 – 3 are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer; episode 1 airs on BBC One on Monday, November 16 at 9pm
