Angellica Bell wants to surpass her husband by winning Celebrity MasterChef

Ambitious: Angellica Bell says she hopes to do better than her husband by winning Celebrity MasterChef: PA
Ambitious: Angellica Bell says she hopes to do better than her husband by winning Celebrity MasterChef: PA

Celebrity MasterChef's Angellica Bell has admitted that she would love to do better than her husband and former show finalist, Michael Underwood, by winning the cooking series.

The presenter will join fellow contestants Ulrika Jonsson and Dev Griffin in the last stage of the BBC One competition when it airs tonight.

Bell said that a victory would mean finally reclaiming her family kitchen following Underwood's success on the programme in 2012.

Considering a potential win, the mother-of-two, 41, told the Press Association: "I would be able to reclaim the kitchen.

"Obviously Michael is dining out on the fact that he was a MasterChef finalist, and I want to pip him to the post... so (winning) would mean a happy home."

Meanwhile, DJ Griffin made no secret about his ambition to go all the way in the competition, joking: "It would make me pretty smug.

"I would tell everybody about it, change my Twitter profile, and basically just be dining out on it - figuratively and literally - for the rest of my life. Are you not guaranteed free meals for life when you win MasterChef?"

Whether she brings home the trophy or not, Jonsson confessed that the end of the show has finally brought her family liberation from being "force-fed" her experimental practice dishes.

She recalled: "My poor children had to endure so many different versions of curries and risottos that, one day when I was travelling with my 16-year-old, I asked if we should have cheese on toast for dinner and she gasped... that was the most exciting thing for her."

Confessing the most awkward moment of her preparation, Bell added: "I asked my neighbour for an ingredient and she asked why I needed it.

"I said 'no reason' and she said, 'I bet you are doing MasterChef...' she must be really annoyed now that I lied to her."

But the trio agreed that, whatever viewers will see when the pre-recorded showdown airs on Friday, everybody involved has discovered a new passion for cooking.

According to Griffin: "Cooking is not difficult... I made improvements when I started thinking about what I like to eat, and then I was finding about how those foods are made and talking to chefs when I went out to restaurants.

"I started to realise that you are only limited by the limitations that you put on yourself.

"It's accessible to everybody, you just have to put the effort in."

With additional reporting from PA.

The Celebrity MasterChef 2017 finale will air on Friday, September 22 at 8.30pm on BBC One.