Grace Dent to replace Gregg Wallace on Celebrity MasterChef

Dent, 51, is also the restaurant critic for the Guardian and hosts a podcast called Comfort Eating with Grace Dent, was a contestant on I’m a Celebrity in 2023.

But she left the Australian jungle after just a week, on medical grounds.

MasterChef (Amateurs) is understood to be currently in production. But the BBC pulled its MasterChef Christmas specials after the allegations against Wallace.

Dent 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, 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.”

After the allegations were made against Wallace, two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials, a Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off and a Strictly Festive Extravaganza, pulled from the BBC’s festive schedule.