Popular cooking-based show MasterChef India is all set to go the celebrity route as popular actors will be seen as contestants this time. India Today Digital has exclusive information that actors Deepika Kakkar, Tejasvi Prakash, Gaurav Khanna and Usha Nadkarni have been signed as contestants.

We also learned that as per confirmed sources, contrary to reports of Farah Khan judging the show, the filmmaker will be hosting the show instead. Interestingly, this is the first time that the show will have a host. Ahead, Chef Vikas Khanna And chef Ranveer Brar will return as a judge this time. It is said that other celebs like Rajeev Aditya and Chandan Prabhakar have also been finalised.

A source close to the show told India Today Digital that the contestants are shooting for their promo in Mumbai. While the first round of auditions earlier this year was held with home cooks, the team decided to go with celebrities to add more glamor to the show. It is also being said that Popularity of Laughter Chef Due to this, the makers decided to have celebs as contestants.

While Deepika Kakkar and Farah Khan run successful YouTube channels sharing recipes, Tejasswi is also said to be a keen cook. On the other hand, Gaurav Khanna, fresh from Anupama, will definitely emerge as a fan-favourite.

This will be the ninth season of the popular cooking show. Apart from MasterChef India, MasterChef Tamil and MasterChef Telugu are also produced every year. The previous seasons of the show are streaming on SonyLiv.