Grace Dent to replace Gregg Wallace on the BBC's Celebrity MasterChef

Gregg Wallace will be replaced by restaurant critic Grace Dent in the next series of the BBC's Celebrity MasterChef.

Dent, a Guardian columnist and former I'm A Celebrity contestant, will join regular MasterChef presenter John Torode as a judge during next year's 20th season of the TV cooking competition.

Wallace is facing allegations of inappropriate behaviour from more than a dozen people across a range of shows over a 17-year period.

It was announced last month that he would step away from his presenting role on MasterChef amid an external review into historical allegations of misconduct.

'So excited I can't eat'

Dent, 51, has appeared regularly as a guest on the show and last year took part in MasterChef: Battle Of The Critics.

She is The Guardian's restaurant critic and also hosts the Comfort Eating podcast where she chats with celebrities about food.

In a statement after the announcement, 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."

She added: "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 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."

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MasterChef executive editor David Ambler also hailed Dent's "expertise", as well as her "wit and finely-honed palette".

Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, added "energetic" Dent is the "perfect choice".

The most recent series of MasterChef: The Professionals continued to air amid a storm of allegations against Wallace.

However, two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials, a Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off and a MasterChef Strictly Festive Extravaganza, featuring Strictly Come Dancing professional dancers, have been 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."

Downing Street criticises Wallace's remarks

Shortly after the allegations first emerged, Wallace recorded a video where he dismissed his accusers as "middle-class women of a certain age".

His remarks were met with huge criticism - including from Downing Street, where a spokesperson for the prime minister described them as "completely inappropriate and misogynistic".

Wallace responded by posting a follow-up clip where he apologised and said he "wasn't in a good space" when he posted the comments.

(c) Sky News 2024: Grace Dent to replace Gregg Wallace on the BBC's Celebrity MasterChef