Restaurant critic Grace Dent has been confirmed as a judge for the next series of Celebrity MasterChef alongside Aussie celebrity chef John Torode.
Dent, who grew up in Carlisle, studied at the University of Stirling and is an honorary fellow of the University of Cumbria, is widely tipped as the permanent replacement host for Gregg Wallace, who has stepped aside from the show due to an investigation into allegations of misconduct.
She has been a regular guest on MasterChef for over a decade, as well as competing as a contestant on last year’s MasterChef: Battle of the Critics 2023.
Dent is also a best-selling author and chart-topping podcaster, with a career in journalism spanning the past 15 years, as well as regularly appearing in food-centred TV and radio shows over the past decade.
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.”
Co-host 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. 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.”
MasterChef executive editor, David Ambler, said: “Grace’s expertise, wit and finely honed palette will be great asset to the judging lineup 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.”
Dent currently writes an award-winning restaurant review column for The Guardian, and has hosted nine seasons of celebrity food podcast Comfort Eating. She previously wrote about food for the Evening Standard and is a best-selling author of over 20 books – including her memoir, Hungry, Comfort Eating and the Diary Of series. Grace has also fronted a range of programmes across TV and radio – from hosting on BBC Radio 2 on Christmas Day and throughout the Christmas period, to presenting BBC Radio 4 series The Untold and BBC Four’s What We Were Watching. She was also part of the line-up for ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Last year, but left the show early for medical reasons.
20-year-old Masterchef is expected to return to BBC One and iPlayer in Spring 2025.
