Lauren Steadman: How Paralympic gold led to Celebrity MasterChef glory, career, net worth and personal life in focus

Lauren Steadman has added another major title to a career already filled with Paralympic medals. The British athlete won Celebrity MasterChef 2026 after beating Olympic weightlifter Emily Campbell and Love Island star Shakira Khan in the BBC One final. Steadman impressed judges Grace Dent and Giorgio Locatelli with a three-course menu, with her sticky toffee pudding playing an important part in the decision. The victory gives the 33-year-old another television success after Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. But away from TV, Steadman’s biggest achievements have come in swimming and paratriathlon.How did Lauren Steadman win Celebrity MasterChef 2026 with Emily Campbell and Shakira KhanSteadman won the Celebrity MasterChef 2026 final on September 18 after the three finalists were asked to cook a three-course meal for Dent and Locatelli. The series started with 15 celebrities before the competition was reduced to the final three.Her menu began with pan-fried scallops in chilli butter, served with coconut and spinach lentil dahl puree and fresh apple batons. For the main course, she prepared beef Wellington with truffle mash, caramelised shallots, butternut squash puree, tenderstem broccoli and red wine jus.The dessert was a classic sticky toffee pudding with dates, caramel sauce and clotted cream ice cream. It proved to be a key moment in the final. Locatelli praised the pudding, while Dent also spoke highly of Steadman’s food.Steadman was visibly emotional after hearing the result. She said: “This is up there with a Paralympic gold medal. There haven’t been many moments when I have been left speechless but this is one of them.”The final followed several demanding challenges during the series. Steadman had already cooked for guests at Crufts and taken part in the Chef’s Table at The Ritz.Steadman’s final menu helped her secure the trophy, while also noting her earlier Paralympic success.What are Lauren Steadman’s Paralympic achievements and sports recordsBefore becoming a television regular, Steadman built her name in elite sport. Born in Peterborough, she started swimming at a young age and represented Great Britain at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games when she was 15.She returned to the pool at London 2012. Her results did not bring a Paralympic medal, but the experience helped shape what came next.Steadman later moved into paratriathlon after her uncle, who is also a triathlete, encouraged her to try the sport. Her first British triathlon came in 2011, when she finished second.Her first Paralympic triathlon medal came at Rio 2016, where she won silver in the sport’s Paralympic debut. Five years later, she went one step further at Tokyo 2020, winning gold in the women’s PTS5 event.At Paris 2024, Steadman returned to the podium with bronze in the same classification. That gave her a full set of Paralympic triathlon medals: silver, gold and bronze.According to ParalympicsGB, Steadman is a three-time World Champion and has won eight European titles. She was also appointed MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to triathlon.What TV shows has Lauren Steadman appeared on after her Paralympic careerSteadman’s television career began long before Celebrity MasterChef. In 2018, she joined Strictly Come Dancing with professional dancer AJ Pritchard. She reached the semi-finals and became the first female contestant with a disability to take part in the BBC show.Her next major television challenge came with Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. Steadman reached the final stage of the competition and was later crowned a joint winner of the series.She also appeared on Richard Osman’s House of Games before taking on Celebrity MasterChef in 2026.The television appearances have given audiences a different look at Steadman outside competition. Strictly tested her dancing, SAS put her through demanding physical and mental challenges, while MasterChef moved her into a completely different setting.Her professional work also includes motivational speaking and business activity. Steadman’s official website describes her work around mindset, performance and helping people deal with perceived barriers. She is also linked to Sizu, a motivational wellness clothing brand.What is Lauren Steadman’s net worth, education and personal lifeAccording to LatestCelebArticles, Lauren Steadman’s net worth is estimated at between $1 million and $5 million. However, the website does not provide financial records or details showing how the figure was calculated, so the estimate cannot be independently confirmed. Her income is linked to her sporting career, television appearances, sponsorships and other professional work.The University of Portsmouth’s profile of the Paralympic champion confirms that, alongside her sporting and television career, she has also been involved in entrepreneurial work.Her income has come from several areas over the years, including elite sport, television work, sponsorships, speaking engagements and business projects. Her exact earnings from Celebrity MasterChef and her other television appearances have not been publicly disclosed.Steadman also has a strong academic background. She studied Psychology at the University of Portsmouth, graduating with a first-class degree in 2014. She later completed an MSc in Business and Management with distinction in 2017.The University of Portsmouth has highlighted both degrees in its profiles of Steadman. The university also notes her sporting achievements, including her Rio silver, Tokyo gold and Paris bronze.Away from sport and television, Steadman has generally kept her personal life private. She has spoken publicly about the role her family played in her early sporting journey, while her uncle was the person who encouraged her to try triathlon after her swimming career.Claims about her current relationship should be treated carefully because reliable public sources do not provide enough information to independently confirm the reported details about a boyfriend named Danny.Steadman has built a career across several very different fields. She went from a teenage Paralympic swimmer to a world-class paratriathlete, won gold at Tokyo 2020, returned for bronze in Paris, appeared on major British television shows and has now added the Celebrity MasterChef trophy to her record.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.