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Celebrity MasterChef 2017: the full line-up

Stars including Debbie McGee and Vic Reeves are taking part in the new series

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Gemma Strong
Online Digital News Director
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Celebrity MasterChef fans – meet your 2017 contestants! The BBC has revealed the line-up of 20 celebs hoping to impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace in this year's competition, and it doesn't disappoint. Among the ladies hoping to take the Celebrity MasterChef title this year are Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington, Debbie McGee, widow of the late magician Paul Daniels, former S Club 7 star Rachel Stevens, soprano Lesley Garrett and Gogglebox's Rev Kate Bottley.

Representing the men, meanwhile, are the likes of comedian Vic Reeves, snooker champion Stephen Hendry, Outnumbered's Tyger Drew-Honey, Union J's Jaymi Hensley and French tennis ace Henri Leconte.

The contestants look set to be thrown in at the deep end this year with a series of high-pressure challenges, including cooking for large groups at The Oval cricket ground and King's College Dental Institute. The 90-minute final will then see the three remaining celebs facing the Chef’s Table, led by Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton. Click through the gallery to see all of this year's budding cooks…

angellica bell© Photo: BBC

Angellica Bell

Angellica found fame as a children’s TV presenter on CBBC between 2000 and 2006, fronting shows including That's Genius! and Xchange. She then made the move into grown-up television, hosting programmes including The One Show and BBC series Ill Gotten Gains. She has been married to fellow CBBC presenter Michael Underwood since 2010, and together they have two children: Elijah and Keziah.

aasmah mir© Photo: BBC

Aasmah Mir

Aasmah is a Scottish TV and radio broadcaster, who currently co-presents BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live radio series. Prior to that she worked for 11 years on BBC 5 Live and has also fronted BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. She is married to Piara Power, the executive director of Football Against Racism in Europe.

jaymi hensley© Photo: BBC

Jaymi Hensley

Jaymi is a member of the boy band Union J, along with Josh Cuthbert and JJ Hamblett. Following the band’s appearance on The X Factor in 2012, Jaymi has appeared on Pointless Celebrities with Sinitta and made his panto debut in the lead role in Peter Pan in December 2016. In 2010, he got engaged to partner Olly Marmon.

abdullah afzal

Abdullah Afzal

Abdullah is an English actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his role as Amjad Malik in BBC One's Citizen Khan. Earlier this year, he appeared in the British romantic comedy Finding Fatimah, about a man who struggles to find love in the British Asian community because of the stigma of his divorce.

barney harwood© Photo: BBC

Barney Harwood

Barney is a popular children's TV presenter, best known for his work on CBBC. His credits include Prank Patrol, Crush and Smile, which warned him a Children's BAFTA for best presenter. In December 2010, he joined BBC's Blue Peter, taking over from Joel Defries, and still appears on a semi-permanent basis. In addition to his TV work, Barney has presented radio show Go 4 It and has starred in a number of pantomimes.

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Brian Bovell

Brian will be instantly recognisable to soap fans as Coronation Street's Bishop John Thornber. He also starred in Hollyoaks as Leo Valentine, from 2006 until 2010, and voices Uncle Hairy in the kids' TV show Humf. His film credits include Babylon, Love Actually and Secrets and Lies.

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Debbie McGee

Performer Debbie found fame as the assistant of magician – and husband - Paul Daniels. Together, they appeared on the BBC One series The Paul Daniels Magic Show, which began in 1979 and continued until 1994. Debbie, 58, has appeared in a number of reality shows, including The Farm, X Factor: Battle of the Stars and Wife Swap. Her appearance on MasterChef comes just over a year after the death of her beloved husband Paul, who passed away in March 2016 at the age of 77.

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Dev Griffin

Dev is best known for presenting the weekend breakfast show on BBC Radio 1. The 32-year-old is also a talented DJ, who warmed up for Kanye West at the Hammersmith Apollo and for Jurassic 5 at the London Astoria. Dev and his twin sister are the youngest of four siblings. He met his good friend and future co-host Reggie Yates while attending the after-school drama club at the Anna Scher Theatre School.

henri leconte© Photo: BBC

Henri Leconte

Henri is a former French professional tennis player. He reached the men's singles finals at the 1988 French Open, won the French Open men's doubles title in 1984 and helped France win the David Cup in 1991. The 53-year-old's highest singles ranking was world number five.

julia somerville© Photo: BBC

Julia Somerville

Julia is an English TV newsreader and reporters, who has worked for the BBC and ITN. Her credits include BBC Breakfast, News at Ten and Rip Off Britain. The 69-year-old was famously the anchor on the BBC News report broadcast in October 1984 which inspired Bob Geldof to form Band Aid, and ultimately Live Aid. Julia was awarded an OBE in the 2013 Queen's Birthday Honours.

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Rev. Kate Bottley

Kate found fame as one of the stars of hit show Gogglebox. She is a reverend from Sheffield, who looks after three parishes, and is also a regular contributor on Pause for Thought on Radio 2. Kate was contacted by Channel 4 following a wedding flashmob video that went viral in 2012. She stars on the show alongside her husband, and is often compared to the Vicar of Dibley.

"We wanted to show people that just because we have a faith and are Christians, it doesn't mean we are four-headed. We watch telly like everybody else, we have arguments – we are normal people," she told The Star of her decision to join Gogglebox.

lesley garrett© Photo: BBC

Lesley Garrett

Lesley is an English soprano singer, musician, broadcaster and media personality, noted for her 'crossover music'. The 62-year-old has performed all across the world, and is a member of the board of English National Opera. She was appointed a CBE for her services to music in 2002. Lesley previously appeared in an episode of popular genealogy programme Who Do You Think You Are? in which she explored her family's Yorkshire roots.

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Nick Moran

Nick is an English actor, writer and producer, best known for his role as Eddy the card sharp in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. He also appeared as Scabior, a snatcher in Fenrir Greyback's gang, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One and Part Two. His TV credits include Mr Selfridge, Death in Paradise, Babs and The Wrong Mans, alongside James Corden and Matthew Baynton.

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Patti Boulaye

Patti is a British-Nigerian singer and actress who found fame after winning the TV talent show New Faces in 1978. She has appeared in Dempsey and Makepeace and Brothers and Sisters, and in 1984 had her own series, The Patti Boulaye Show, on Channel 4. Patti had a starring role in the African movie Bisi, Daughter of the River, said to be the biggest grossing African film ever made, and also appeared in The Music Machine in 1979. The 63-year-old is a devout Roman Catholic, and has two children with her husband Stephen Komlosy.

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Rachel Stevens

Rachel is best known as a singer in the pop group S Club 7, between 1999 and 2003. The 39-year-old - who is a mum to two daughters, Amelie, six, and three-year-old Minnie - previously took part in the sixth series of Strictly Come Dancing, coming in second place with her partner Vincent Simone, behind 2008 champions Tom Chambers and Camilla Dallerup.

rebecca adlington© Photo: BBC

Rebecca Adlington

Rebecca is a former competitive swimmer, who won two gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics. The 28-year-old, who is a mum to two-year-old daughter Summer with ex-husband Harry Needs, retired from her sport in February 2013 at the age of 23. She was one of the contestants in series 3 of The Jump, and also took part in the 2013 series of I'm A Celebrity.

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Stephen Hendry

Stephen is a Scottish former professional snooker player. He became the youngest professional snooker player in the world in 1985 at the age of 16, and at 21 became the youngest ever snooker world champion. He won the World Championship seven times, and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive seasons, between 1990 and 1998. The 48-year-old is regarded by the snooker world to be one of the greatest ever players.

tyger drew honey© Photo: BBC

Tyger Drew-Honey

Tyger found fame at a young age playing Jake Brockman in the hit British sitcom Outnumbered. He has had guest roles in shows including Citizen Khan, Midsomer Murders and Death in Paradise, and in 2014 started presenting his own documentary series on BBC Three, titled Tyger Takes On, tackling subjects including 'the perfect body', sexuality and sexism.

ulrika jonsson© Photo: BBC

Ulrika Jonsson

Swedish star Ulrika first came to public attention as a TV-am weather girl, before going on to host the hit TV show Gladiators with John Fashanu, and appearing as a team captain on the BBC comedy quiz Shooting Stars. Ulrika, 49, has been married three times and has four children. She famously had an affair with Sven-Goran Eriksoon, then manager of the England football team.

vic reeves© Photo: BBC

Vic Reeves

Vic – real name Jim Moir – is an English comedian and actor, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer. The pair have written and starred in a number of comedy shows since 1990, with their surreal, slapstick humour proving a huge hit with British audiences. Vic has been married since 2003 to model Nancy Sorrell, with whom he shares twin daughters Beth and Nell. He is also a father to two children from his first marriage to Sarah Vincent.

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