It’s been a bombshell few days for MasterChef, with the BBC saying that it would be ‘untenable’ to ever work with Gregg Wallace again after it was confirmed that 45 allegations made against him have been upheld.
Now that the broadcaster has said that it has ‘no plans to work with him in future’, rumours are circulating once more that Grace Dent will replace him as judge on the cooking TV series.
In 2024, it was revealed the BBC had launched an investigation into historical allegations of misconduct by Wallace, 60, who hosted the show from its inception in 2005.
The results of the investigation revealed that out of 83 complaints against the TV host, more than half – which chiefly concerned ‘inappropriate sexual language and humour’ – have been upheld, though Wallace continues to deny the allegations.
It is expected that the BBC will announce Wallace’s replacement on MasterChef in the coming weeks and months, with speculation pointing towards TV presenter and writer Dent.
The 51-year-old has appeared on the cooking show before, taking over for a Christmas special and standing in as a judge during the investigation into Wallace.
Here’s everything we know about the columnist, broadcaster, author, and prospective MasterChef presenter.
Grace Dent’s career from journalist to food critic
After studying English Literature at university, Dent began writing features for Cosmopolitan magazine, bagging her first job after graduation as an editorial assistant for Marie Claire magazine in London.
Once she became a freelance journalist, Dent contributed to Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and Marie Claire, as well as writing a weekly column in More! magazine.
In subsequent years, she worked for national publications like the Daily Mirror, The Guardian, The Independent, and the Evening Standard.
Since 2018, she has also been one of the head restaurant critics at The Guardian, and since the early 2010s she’s followed a ‘mainly vegan’ diet.
Her first book, It’s A Girl Thing, was published in 2003. Since then, she’s published over 20 books across her Diary of a Chav, Diary of a Snob, and Les Bambinos Dangereuses series.
In terms of TV and radio, she’s built up lots of experience with food-related shows, producing nine seasons of the celebrity food podcast Comfort Eating.
On screen, she’s appeared as a guest judge on MasterChef, MasterChef: The Professionals, and Celebrity MasterChef, and was chosen as Wallace’s replacement during the investigation.
Other shows Dent has featured on include Great British Menu, Very British Problems, Have I Got News for You, and Richard Osman’s House of Games.
In 2023, she signed up to compete on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, but unfortunately she had to leave the jungle after nine days due eto ‘medical reasons’.
When did Grace Dent join MasterChef?
Grace Dent joined MasterChef as a co-judge in 2024, having appeared as a regular guest since 2014.
She also competed as a contestant on MasterChef: Battle of the Critics 2023 and will present Celebrity MasterChef 2025.
When the news of her position as a judge on Celebrity MasterChef was announced, 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.’
Meanwhile, John, 59, said he had ‘loved’ working with her over the years and she’d 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,’ he continued.
‘The love of food, the love of MasterChef, and that unquestionable expertise, makes Dent the perfect person to step in alongside me as judge for the forthcoming Celebrity MasterChef series.’
Is Grace Dent married?
While Dent largely keeps her private life out of the spotlight, in 2021 she opened up about her relationship with a man named Charles while speaking on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast.
The couple first noticed each other on social media, sharing mutual friends before following each other on Instagram.
It took them two years to actually meet up, but they began dating soon after.
‘With my man, Charles, I think almost every day whenever I look at him, “How did I pull this off?”’ she said at the time.
Although the pair don’t live together, Dent revealed in 2022 that Charles is around her house all the time.
‘The reality is he’s in my house most of the time, making a mess, eating food from my fridge and being looked after,’ she told the Evening Standard.
Dent doesn’t have children, previously saying that while she liked them, she didn’t like them ‘enough’, which she admitted ‘still feels like a radical thing for a woman to say’.
‘And children do like me, too. I have a big capacity for silliness, plus I resemble a sort of claymation witch, which they find intriguing. But I didn’t ever truly want one,’ she added.
What has Gregg Wallace said about his MasterChef exit?
Last week, Wallace published a statement on social media shortly before it was confirmed that he had been officially sacked from MasterChef.
His statement came days before the results of the investigation were made public on Monday July 14, which concluded that 45 out of the 83 allegations made against Wallace had been substantiated.
Metro has contacted Gregg Wallace’s representatives for comment.
In the statement that he posted on social media on July 8, he wrote: ‘I cannot sit in silence while my reputation is further damaged to protect others.
‘I have now been cleared by the Silkin report of the most serious and sensational accusations made against me. The most damaging claims (including allegations from public figures which have not been upheld) were found to be baseless after a full and forensic six-month investigation.
‘My decision to go public now is also driven by the fact the BBC News division are intending to platform legally unsafe accusations, including claims which have already been investigated and not upheld by the BBC and found not credible by Silkin.’
The Silkin report noted that, during the investigation, which took over seven months, Wallace was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and it said any findings should be viewed in the context of his neurodiversity.
Wallace is reportedly preparing to take legal action against the BBC and the production team behind MasterChef, claiming he was discriminated against due to his autism.
After being accused of ‘undressing’ in front of women working on MasterChef, friends close to Wallace also made claims to The Times that his autism caused an ‘inability to wear underwear’ due to hypersensitivity.
A version of this article was originally published on November 27, 2023.
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