The latest episode of Celebrity MasterChef might have left you with a newfound appreciation for Domino’s, but it also raised some concerns about the NHS.

In the second heat, judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode tasked the week’s five contestants with making pizzas. Competing were Alex George, known for his stint on Love Island 2018 and his work as an A&E doctor, Jenny Ryan, famed as The Vixen on The Chase, Dom Parker, the aristocratic star of Gogglebox, comedian Josie Long, and BBC Radio 1Xtra presenter Mim Shaikh. Despite the competition, the judges made the surprising decision to eliminate Shaikh while retaining a Love Island favorite.

Alex George came across as a likable personality, much like he did on Love Island. However, there were moments that left viewers questioning his professional competence, echoing sentiments from his reality TV days.

Novice: Too much tomato puree and cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella… Love Island’s doctor Alex George had seemingly never seen a pizza before on Celebrity MasterChef

In the villa last summer, George was notably prone to sunburn, often appearing with painfully red shoulders and face. His consistent failure to apply sunscreen properly became a running concern.

Consider the scenario: if you found yourself in A&E on a hectic Friday night, would you feel assured under the care of a doctor who struggled to manage a bottle of sunscreen?

To be fair at least Alex took the show in his stride, remaining calm even working in the kitchen of London’s Baptiste Grill. 

Unlike a lot of contestants, he (commendably) never suggested the ‘pressure’ of cooking on Celebrity Masterchef was worse than his job.

On the down side, the pizza he made was… weird.

Problems: To be fair at least Alex took the show in his stride, but the pizza he made was… weird

It seemed like a relatively straightforward challenge but the way Gregg Wallace and John Torode acted, you’d think they had invented pizza, or were at least connoisseurs.

‘A pizza is an absolutely adored meal isn’t it?!’ bellowed Gregg at the five bewildered chefs. ‘It’s pretty much universal.’

Yes we know. 

‘We want something that’s not sloppy in the middle,’ explained Torode. ‘With toppings that go together.’

I’m pretty sure literally everyone watching at home knew what a pizza should look like, and what you could – or couldn’t – put on them.

Nonetheless, Torode raved about Mim’s as if it were haute cuisine.

Relaxed: To be fair at least Alex took the show in his stride, remaining calm even working in the kitchen of London’s Baptiste Grill

Trust: A&E doctor Alex George seemed like a nice bloke (as he did on Love Island) but didn’t always inspire complete confidence when you thought of him professionally (ditto)

‘The cheese across the top is quite salty and sharp!’ he pontificated, which was funny because when he asked what type of cheese had chosen, Shaikh didn’t know.

Gregg Wallace went even further.

‘I LIKE the richness of the tomato puree!’ he cried, even though it was straight out of a tube.

As for Dr. Alex George’s creation, you had to wonder if he’d seen many pizzas before.

The size and depth of his dough was more like a Frisbee than even the cheapest abomination from a supermarket freezer.

Alex then, inexplicably, covered this with far too much passata but hardly anything else.  

The worst: Alex’s effort was definitely better than Josie Long’s effort, a ragged mess that resembled something she’d fished out of the bin

His topping consisted of only two or three mushrooms and a few weedy slithers of pepperoni that looked decidedly lonely stuck in the red sea of tomato, which was clearly dry and over-cooked.

Worst of all, when it came to the type of cheese for his topping, Alex had selected cheddar, which had a crumbly quality that only made it even dryer. 

The fact Alex didn’t know/work out that pizzas have mozzarella seemed bizarre and possibly didn’t speak volumes for his decision-making.

Perhaps he liked cheddar cheese and passata on his pizza, but it didn’t look very appetising. It was definitely better than Josie Long’s effort, a ragged mess that resembled something she’d fished out of the bin.

‘I like your ingredients !’ roared Wallace, referring to Alex’s completely standard selection of mushroom, pepperoni, and (cheddar) cheese.

Loser: ‘I like your ingredients !’ roared Wallace, referring to Alex’s completely standard selection of mushroom, pepperoni, and (cheddar) cheese, as Josie Long’s (pictured) effort flopped

On the down side, the judges reiterated his dough and puree were terrible.

‘I think mixed reviews, wasn’t it?’ suggested Alex with optimism that was admirable but entirely unfounded.

He repeated this trick at the end of the final round too – when it transpired that the middle of his coq au vin wasn’t.

‘It’s just annoying,’ sighed Alex. ‘Because otherwise it would have been a good dish.’

True but Gregg Wallace pointed out one significant minor detail: he couldn’t actually judge the chicken properly – because it wasn’t really safe to eat.

You‘d think that, as a doctor, Alex would have made that his priority.

Reaching: ‘I think mixed reviews, wasn’t it?’ suggested Alex with optimism that was admirable but entirely unfounded