Gregg Wallace will be replaced by restaurant critic Grace Dent in the next series of the BBC’s Celebrity MasterChef show.
Dent, a Guardian columnist and former I’m A Celebrity star, will join regular MasterChef presenter John Torode as a judge during next year’s 20th season of the cooking competition.
Wallace is facing allegations of inappropriate behaviour from more than a dozen people across a range of shows over a 17-year period.
It was announced last month that he would step away from his presenting role on MasterChef amid an external review into historical allegations of misconduct.
‘So excited I can’t eat’
Dent, 51, has appeared regularly as a guest on the show and last year took part in MasterChef: Battle Of The Critics.
She is The Guardian’s restaurant critic and also hosts the Comfort Eating podcast where she chats with celebrities about food.
In a statement as she was announced as Wallace’s replacement, she said: “I’ve been watching MasterChef since I was a girl sitting with my dad on the sofa. My whole family watches it. It’s all about uncovering and championing talent – and to have ended up in this position, is more than a dream to me.”
“I’m so excited that I can’t eat, which is severely detrimental to a restaurant critic. I feel very lucky to be stepping in for the next Celebrity MasterChef. I can’t wait to meet the fresh celebrity faces for 2025.”
Torode said: “I have loved working with Grace on MasterChef over the years. She has been an excellent guest, an inspiring critic and also set some incredible challenges. Expertise is what MasterChef is all about, from the contestants to our wonderful production team, to us as judges.
“The love of food, the love of MasterChef, and that unquestionable expertise, makes Grace the perfect person to step in alongside me as judge for the forthcoming Celebrity MasterChef series.”
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MasterChef executive editor David Ambler, says: “Grace’s expertise, wit and finely-honed palette will be great asset to the judging line-up and the celebrities will need to be sitting up straight for this series. We’re looking forward to welcoming Grace back in 2025 as we uncover a new Celebrity MasterChef champion.”
Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, says: “Grace Dent is the perfect choice to step in for the next series of Celebrity MasterChef. Grace is not only an energetic and well-established member of the MasterChef team, but is also a world renowned food critic, so she will certainly keep the next batch of celebrities on their toes.”
The most recent series of MasterChef: The Professionals continued to air amid a storm of allegations against Wallace.
However, two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials, a Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off and a Strictly Festive Extravaganza, have been pulled from the BBC’s festive schedule.
Wallace’s lawyers previously told the BBC “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.
