Just as Celebrity MasterChef nears its grand finale, a cloud of controversy has cast a shadow over one of its frontrunners. Gaurav Khanna, who recently wowed judges with a visually stunning honey-dripping dessert, now finds himself in the middle of a plagiarism controversy.
Gaurav Khanna's dessert earns praises
In a recent episode, Gaurav's dessert drew immense praise from judges Ranveer Brar and Vikas Khanna. The intricately crafted dish left both chefs deeply impressed. Ranveer called the dessert “zinda hai, drop by drop,” admitting he was momentarily speechless, while Vikas Khanna remarked, “There are times when I feel like I’ve seen everything and it’s just a repeat. But this… this is something new. Yeh nahi expect kiya tha.” Ranveer added playfully, “Ek hi dil hai dost, kitni baar jeetoge?"
Gaurav copied Switzerland-based pastry chef?
However, shortly after the episode aired, comparisons began surfacing online between Gaurav’s dessert and a strikingly similar creation previously posted by Switzerland-based pastry chef Dives Josh. Social media users were quick to point out the visual similarities, triggering speculation that the concept may not have been entirely original.
Adding fuel to the fire, Chef Dives Josh appeared to subtly address the controversy on Instagram. Sharing a clip from the show featuring Gaurav’s dessert, he wrote, “Well done, so creative…” paired with a cheeky emoji. In a follow-up story, he posted an image of his own dessert, captioned simply: “the original.”
Netizens react
While Gaurav and the show’s producers have yet to respond to the allegations, the timing of the chef’s posts and the visual similarities between the dishes have left fans divided. Some argue that culinary inspiration often overlaps, while others are calling for greater transparency and acknowledgement in such a high-profile competition.
Whoevr the owner of dish I want to tell him
— Naz (FAN ACCOUNT) (@naz_maan2022) April 3, 2025
Sir u prepared beautiful dish & #Gauravkhanna took it as an inspiration, rest dish is different
In #CelebrityMasterChef evry contestant is doing same🤷🏻♀️
nothing is new
even 2day guest chef made it clear
They r actors not trained chefs https://t.co/z6CMLSODqk pic.twitter.com/uYddrcXiGf
I just want @TheVikasKhanna and @ranveerbrar, please sir if something can be done from your side. Aren't most dishes inspired by or replicated sometime or the other? #CelebrityMasterChef
— Zoey ❤️ (@_anujkizoo_90) April 3, 2025
It seems very embarrassing please do look into this 😢
People are trolling #GauravKhanna pic.twitter.com/nnwUblFfSu
no but this is so embarrassing oh dear lord 😭😭
— •ھ• 🍉 (@baskahaaniyan) April 3, 2025
the OG chef whose idea gaurav khanna replicated without giving no credits presenting it as his own recipe/concept/idea (whatever you call) posted it on his story ☠️☠️ pic.twitter.com/TydVJw2bGG
Meanwhile, the race to the Celebrity MasterChef title continues, with Tejasswi Prakash, Nikki Tamboli, Rajiv Adatia, Faisal Shaikh, and Gaurav Khanna still in contention.
