BBC confirms Gregg Wallace's Celebrity MasterChef replacement amid review

Restaurant critic Grace Dent will judge the next series of Celebrity MasterChef alongside John Torode, it has been announced, amid a review into usual co-host Gregg Wallace.

Grace, 51, will judge the upcoming 20th series of Celebrity MasterChef following news last month that Wallace will step away from the role amid an external review into historical allegations of misconduct.

Author and podcaster Grace has appeared regularly as a guest on MasterChef, and last year was a contestant on MasterChef: Battle Of The Critics. She said of the new gig: "I’ve been watching MasterChef since I was a girl sitting with my dad on the sofa. My whole family watches it.

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"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.”

John, 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."

Kalpna Patel-Knight, the BBC’s head of entertainment, added: "Grace Dent is the perfect choice to step in