Restaurant critic Grace Dent has been appointed as the new judge for “Celebrity MasterChef,” stepping into the role vacated by Gregg Wallace following his departure amid historical misconduct allegations.
Dent, who has been a regular guest on the BBC cooking competition for over a decade, will join John Torode on the judging panel for the show’s upcoming 20th series. The announcement comes during a turbulent period for the franchise, which saw the BBC pull its Christmas specials following Wallace’s controversial response to misconduct allegations.
“I’ve been watching ‘MasterChef’ since I was a girl sitting with my dad on the sofa,” Dent said. “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.”
Popular on Variety
Torode added: “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.”
Dent brings significant culinary credentials to the role, including an award-winning restaurant review column for The Guardian and nine seasons hosting the celebrity food podcast “Comfort Eating.” She previously competed in “MasterChef: Battle of the Critics 2023” and has authored more than 20 books.
The BBC’s head of entertainment, Kalpna Patel-Knight, called Dent “the perfect choice,” citing her established presence on the “MasterChef” team and reputation as a “world renowned food critic.”
The appointment follows Wallace’s step-back from the show after BBC News investigated allegations of inappropriate sexual comments by 13 people who worked with him across five shows between 2005 and 2022. Production company Banijay U.K. is conducting an investigation into the claims, which Wallace’s lawyers say are “entirely false.”
The new season of “Celebrity MasterChef” with Dent is set to air in 2025.