‘MasterChef But Can’t Cook?’ Gaurav Khanna Faces Heat After Refusing To Cook On BB19, Team Reacts

Bigg Boss 19 contestant Gaurav Khanna has found himself in hot water after refusing to take on kitchen duties inside the house.

In response to mounting backlash, Gaurav’s team issued a clarification on X.

Source : Jio Hotstar

Bigg Boss 19 contestant Gaurav Khanna has found himself in hot water after refusing to take on kitchen duties inside the house. The controversy erupted last week when captain Kunickaa Sadanand assigned him cooking responsibilities, but the Anupamaa actor bluntly declined.

Gaurav Khanna says he doesn't know cooking

“Ma’am, I won’t make it. I don’t know how to cook Indian food. The housemates will have to stay hungry all day,” Gaurav said, insisting his participation contract did not include cooking tasks.

During a conversation captured on the Bigg Boss live feed, Gaurav further explained his stance to co-contestant Mridul Tiwari, saying, “Kaam toh main accha karta hu, bas issi baat ka guroor hai. Khaana banane ko mera mann nahi hai aur mujhe aata bhi nahi Indian khaana banana. Maine voh show (Celebrity MasterChef), iss show ke liye thodi kiya hai. Ab tumhe kahen ki actor ho, acting karo sara din. Voh logon ne dekhliya mujhe cooking kitna aata hai. Iss show main unko meri personality dekhni hai.”

Social media Questions his MasterChef win

The clip quickly spread across social media, sparking a wave of criticism. Many fans questioned Gaurav’s Celebrity MasterChef India win, suggesting the cooking reality series may have been scripted.

One Reddit user wrote, “Arey yaar MasterChef scripted tha matlab. Gaurav ko Darr hai ki log uska khana kha ke figure out kar lenge ki usse acha khana bnana nahi aata.”

Another commented, “Being the current celebrity MasterChef title holder, he is sceptical of putting himself up for judgment by the HMs. He doesn’t want anyone to question his win by his present cooking skills.”

Team Gaurav responds

In response to mounting backlash, Gaurav’s team issued a clarification on X (formerly Twitter). “Let’s be clear, MasterChef and Bigg Boss cooking aren’t the same. At MasterChef, #GauravKhanna worked with guidance, preparing one plated dish with finesse. In #BiggBoss, it’s about cooking for people, daily meals, and no supervision. Before Celebrity MasterChef, #GauravKhanna had never cooked at all. The show was about learning, adapting, and performing under immense pressure. Winning that title was about determination, not prior skill. Trolling him and judging him today based on one statement about Indian food is unfair.”

Let’s be clear MasterChef and Bigg Boss cooking aren’t the same. At MasterChef, #GauravKhanna worked with guidance, preparing one plated dish with finesse. In #BiggBoss, it’s about cooking for people, daily meals, and no supervision.

Before Celebrity MasterChef, #GauravKhanna…

— Gaurav Khanna (@iamgauravkhanna) August 30, 2025

Netizens react to Gaurav Khanna's team's statement

However, the explanation did little to calm critics, who continued to challenge Gaurav’s statements. One X user wrote a lengthy rebuttal, pointing out, “Sorry, but the defense of Gaurav Khanna’s ‘I don’t know how to cook’ claim holds no water. Winning #CelebrityMasterChef India 2025 means he mastered dishes like jackfruit curry and pavlova under Vikas Khanna’s watchful eye; skills that should translate to basic dal-roti for housemates… Determination got him the trophy, but this excuse undermines his credibility!”

Another fan added, “Bro!! Have some shame, the show was about learning, usne show jeeta matlab usne sab se acha sekha waha… Basic normal khana pakana hota hai much harder than M. Chef?”

Rajiv Adatia defends Gaurav Khanna

Celebrity MasterChef co-contestant Rajiv Adatia came forward in Gaurav’s defense, highlighting the difference between a competitive cooking show and the high-pressure environment of Bigg Boss.

In an Instagram story, Rajiv said, “Winning Celebrity MasterChef and cooking for 20-25 people on Bigg Boss are two different things. I have done both the shows, and I have cooked at both the places. I was the main cook in Bigg Boss along with Tejasswi and Nishant, so it’s different. When Gaurav was on MasterChef, he had not entered a kitchen before that. He used to make lengthy notes when we were getting trained for two weeks before the show. He knew nothing and would spend 8-9 hours in the grooming kitchen.”

Rajiv stressed that excelling in a TV competition doesn’t automatically make someone capable of running a household kitchen, especially under Bigg Boss’s daily grind.