Celebrity MasterChef star Sue Cleaver 'needed treatment' after 'nearly cutting her finger off' while filming with 'very sharp' knife
Ouch!Sue Cleaver reportedly needed treatment from Celebrity MasterChef medics after cutting her right index finger within her first 30 minutes in the kitchen. However, the injury did not end her time in the competition, and she carried on cooking after receiving help.
Her accident comes after Joe Pasquale repeatedly cut his fingers during the opening Celebrity MasterChef episode, creating another dramatic moment in the new series.
Sue, 62, played Eileen Grimshaw on Coronation Street from 2000 until 2025. She will compete against celebrities including Una Healy and Melvin Odoom in the BBC show’s September 1 episode.
Sue Cleaver continued after Celebrity MasterChef injury
According to The Sun, Sue suffered the injury while preparing a salad. She had reportedly brought a Japanese knife that her son bought for her to use on Celebrity MasterChef.
The extra-sharp blade caused trouble as she chopped vegetables. Sue says in the as-yet unaired scenes: “Oh, plaster already. I’ve cut myself. It didn’t take long. I nearly cut my finger off and it’s only day one. I’m panicking a bit.”
Judge Giorgio Locatelli reportedly responds: “That’s a Japanese knife. It’s a very sharp one.”
Medics on the Celebrity MasterChef set treated Sue before she returned to the contest. Viewers will see whether the early setback affects her efforts to impress Giorgio and fellow judge Grace Dent.
Giorgio joined the programme’s judging line-up for the 2026 series after previously appearing on MasterChef Italia. He and Grace will assess Sue’s cooking when she enters the kitchen alongside the other celebrities in her heat.
TV Guide has contacted Sue’s reps for comment.
Celebrity MasterChef viewers object to Jay McGuinness exit
Sue’s appearance follows a frustrated viewer reaction to the competition’s first elimination. Some fans reportedly felt another contestant should have left instead when Jay McGuinness became the first celebrity sent home.
The Wanted singer encountered problems with both a cheesecake and a mushroom pie. His cheesecake would not come out of its tin, while the judges raised concerns about his pastry during the later challenge.
Giorgio criticised the finished pie, saying: “It has definitely got a problem. It’s too crumbly and is almost sandy. You’ve added too much fat into the mixture.”
Grace, Giorgio and guest judge Paddy McGuinness assessed Jay’s efforts before the judges eliminated him from the first heat. The decision ended his hopes of reaching the quarter-final and left some viewers unhappy with the result.
Celebrity MasterChef continues on Wednesday August 26 at 9pm on BBC One. Sue’s episode airs on Tuesday September 1 on BBC One.
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