Restaurant critic Grace Dent will judge the next series of Celebrity MasterChef alongside John Torode after Gregg Wallace was accused of sexual misconduct, it has been announced.
Dent, 51, will judge the upcoming 20th series of Celebrity MasterChef following news last month that Gregg Wallace will step away from the role amid an external review into historical allegations of misconduct.
Wallace has faced a series of complaints about his alleged behaviour, including claims he made inappropriate sexual jokes, shared intimate details of his sex life and even walked around set naked except for a sock on his penis.
He also reportedly would take off his clothes in front of women on set, flirt with members of staff and has been accused of groping two crew members.
At least 13 women have made formal complaints about Wallace across five shows over a 17-year period, with more describing inappropriate experiences on social media since the scandal broke.
Wallace’s lawyers have previously denied any allegations that he has engaged in behaviour that amounts to sexual harassment.
The BBC previously cancelled two planned Christmas specials of MasterChef amid the publicity storm surrounding the presenter, as the show’s producers Banijay began an investigation.
Author and podcaster Dent has appeared regularly as a guest on MasterChef, and last year was a contestant on MasterChef: Battle Of The Critics.
Her takeover from Wallace was first reported last week, with a source telling the Sun Dent is seen as ‘the perfect choice’ for the show.
They added: ‘She’s knowledgeable about food and opinionated, plus it’s great to have a woman as a judge on the show. It will shake things up and give the series the boost it needs after such an upsetting and uncertain time.
‘She is already a fan favourite and has won lots of respect in the foodie world thanks to her no-nonsense style and sense of humour.
‘Bosses love her already, know she is a safe pair of hands and trust her to help steer the ship with John to steadier waters.’
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.’
Dent was born and raised by her parents in Carlisle and went on to pursue further education at Stirling University, bagging herself an English Literature degree in the process.
During her time at university, Dent kicked off her journalism career, writing features for Cosmopolitan, according to The Sun.
After leaving full-time education, she worked as an editorial assistant for Vogue, and then a freelance journalist for various magazines such as Marie Claire, Glamour and more.
She also spent 12 years, from 2000 until 2012, writing about all things TV, before making her way to The Independent and specialising in food.
As well as appearing as a judge on all three UK MasterChef franchises, Dent has also been a judge on Great British Menu.
For many Dent is most recognisable for her stint in the I’m A Celeb jungle in 2023, before she left due to health issues.
After completing several bushtucker trials, fans had been left concerned for her after she had begun to look ‘scarily unwell’ during her time in the jungle.
Viewers spotted she appeared gaunt, tired and lacking in energy, and often looked on the verge of tears.
Sources said her ordeal in the makeshift jungle camp ‘was a mental battle rather than physical.’
She decided to leave after ‘losing all her energy’ in camp and reaching breaking point as she faced the prospect of doing another Bushtucker Trial, and left a heartfelt goodbye note to her fellow campmates.
Within three hours of the announcement being made Grace was spotted at Brisbane Airport as she made her return to the United Kingdom.
It was recently revealed that Wallace admitted ‘defeat’ and accepted his career is over in the wake of an investigation by a production company into his alleged sexual harassment and groping.
After allegations against him were first made, Wallace took to Instagram and blamed a handful of ‘middle-aged’ women for the complaints – before backtracking and apologising for any ‘offence caused’ after sparking national outrage with the video.
A source has now told MailOnline that Gregg has told friends that he ‘accepts his TV career is basically at an end.’
Among those to have spoken out about his behaviour are former Newsnight host Kirsty Walk, Penny Lancaster and TV chef Gizzi Erskine.
Torode, who has presented MasterChef since 2005, 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.’
Dent currently writes a restaurant review column for The Guardian and hosts celebrity food podcast Comfort Eating.
Her book Comfort Eating: What We Eat When Nobody’s Looking was published last year, with her memoir Hungry published in 2020.
Kalpna Patel-Knight, the BBC’s head of entertainment, said: ‘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, with two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials, a Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off and a Strictly Festive Extravaganza, 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’.
