Celebrity Masterchef has been a landmark on British television for the past twenty years. The cooking competition is coming back for its twentieth instalment in 2025, and one of the judges is going to change. Amidst a sexual misconduct storm, Gregg Wallace has been forced to step down from the panel, and he will reportedly be replaced by acclaimed restaurant critic Grace Dent. Here is everything you need to know about her.
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Grace Dent set to replace Gregg Wallace on Celebrity Masterchef
Grace Dent, a renowned restaurant critic, has already made her television debut as she regularly appeared as a guest on Masterchef. In 2023, she competed on Masterchef: Battle of the Critics. An anonymous source told the Sun in early December 2024 that Grace Dent was 'the perfect choice' for the show. They explained:
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.
Grace Dent is seen as a steady figure which can help the show as its former judge Gregg Wallace is currently in hot waters. The source went on to praise Grace Dent for her personality:
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.
The source also told The Sun:
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.
Grace Dent once had to quit I'm A Celeb
Grace Dent is not only known for her appearances on cooking shows. Indeed, she joined the cast of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2023. However, she sadly had to step back from the reality TV show after only nine days spent in the jungle. She explained having been forced to leave due to 'medical grounds'. The restaurant critic published a lengthy statement right after leaving the show, explaining she felt heartbroken. She wrote that she wanted to 'keep alive in my heart the huge personal breakthroughs' she had learned while participating in the show. She explained:
It gave me a short, sharp glimpse into the pain some folk worldwide endure. Normal life, forever, will always feel beautiful.
Grace Dent thanked the reality TV show for teaching her about her mental strength. She wrote:
I was physically stronger than I thought; I can carry a lot of logs and water up hill, build fire and eat hare innards at dawn for breakfast.
The restaurant critic also thanked the fans, hoping they would not blame her for leaving as she had no choice. She concluded:
I hope I gave you all a smile. I didn't go out as I planned or I wanted, but I did what I could, and I did it in a siren red gel manicure without chipping a nail
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Sources used:
BBC: Grace Dent 'overwhelmingly sad' after I'm A Celebrity jungle exit
Daily Mail: Grace Dent will judge next Celebrity Masterchef series after Gregg Wallace was hit by sexual misconduct storm
The Sun: SIMMER DOWN I’m A Celebrity star set to be announced as Gregg Wallace’s MasterChef replacement amid ‘grope’ probe
