Emily Campbell had one clear mission when she decided to go to the 2026 Commonwealth Games: defending her weightlifting crown.  On July 30, the British star retained her women’s +86kg title after lifting 115kg in the snatch and a Commonwealth Games record 163kg for a winning total of 278kg. But after celebrating another gold medal, many expected the double Olympic medallist to talk about her next competition. Instead, Campbell surprised everyone with an admission that had nothing to do with weightlifting.

After winning Commonwealth Games gold, she explained why she agreed to appear on Celebrity MasterChef, which is set to air next month.

“MasterChef was definitely more nerve-racking than this, absolutely,” Campbell said. She went on to explain that filming the show proved to be one of the toughest experiences she had faced away from the weightlifting platform.

“MasterChef was very tough. It was a very tough competition, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. My signature dish is Caribbean, and that’s all I’m going to give you because I want you to watch it.”

Emily Campbell said taking part in Celebrity MasterChef allowed her to step outside the identity she has built through years of elite competition.

“It was a really fun experience,” she said. “It was really nice for me to do something without being Emily the weightlifter. Food is something I’ve always been massively passionate about.”

The 32-year-old has previously shared that she enjoys preparing dishes including grilled salmon with rice and vegetables, chicken laksa, chicken Caesar salad, poke bowls, and spaghetti Bolognese.

She also revealed that a fellow Olympian’s victory on Celebrity MasterChef inspired her to sign up for the show.

“I’ve always been a massive fan of the show and always wanted to be on it…I’m confident in the kitchen, but there’s a lot I want to know. My good friend Kadeena Cox won the show, and it inspired me to give it a go – we are bonded by food! Life’s too short not to challenge yourself!”

Despite celebrating another Commonwealth Games gold medal and preparing for her Celebrity MasterChef debut, Campbell’s future in weightlifting remains uncertain.

Emily Campbell opens up about Olympic future after historic weightlifting career

Emily Campbell’s weightlifting career started in Nottingham, where she first started competing in athletics, focusing on the shot put and the hammer throw. It wasn’t until she was at Leeds Beckett University studying Sports Science that coaches suggested weightlifting to enhance her throwing power.

It was an opportunity that changed her career. Campbell won bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games before becoming the first British woman to medal in an Olympic competition by winning her silver in the women’s +87kg weightlifting event in 2021 in Tokyo. It was followed by Commonwealth gold and a Games record in Birmingham in 2022 before picking up an Olympic bronze at the Paris Games in 2024.

Recently, she also won her sixth successive European Championship in a row, becoming the first woman to do so. But now, Campbell says she is unsure of what lies ahead as the physical demands of the sport have taken their toll.

“It hurts everywhere. Everywhere. Your knees, your shoulders, your back, everywhere,” she said.

She added, “So I’ve got some thinking to do. We’re going to go back with the team. We’re going to strategise. LA, we would like to go, but we’ve got to look at the practicalities. If they work, you will see me start qualification at the end of the year. But for now, we enjoy what just happened. We have some good food, maybe a few drinks, and then we move on from that.”

For now, Emily Campbell is savoring both her Commonwealth Games triumph and her upcoming Celebrity MasterChef debut before deciding what comes next in her remarkable career.