December 18th 2024.
It has been officially announced that Grace Dent will be joining John Torode as a judge for the upcoming 20th series of Celebrity MasterChef, taking over for Gregg Wallace who has stepped down amidst allegations of misconduct. The 51-year-old author and podcaster has been a regular guest on MasterChef and even competed on MasterChef: Battle Of The Critics last year.
In an interview, Dent shared her excitement about joining the show, stating that she has been a fan since she was a young girl watching with her father. She expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to uncover and champion talent on the show, and couldn't believe that she was now in a position to do so. Dent also joked that she was so excited, she couldn't even eat, which is not ideal for a food critic.
There were speculations about who would replace Wallace, with names like James Martin, Angela Hartnett, and Torode's wife Lisa Faulkner being thrown around. But Dent was the frontrunner with odds of 2/1, and now she is officially joining the MasterChef family.
Torode, who has been presenting the show since 2005 alongside Wallace, also expressed his excitement about working with Dent. He praised her as an excellent guest and critic, and someone who has set incredible challenges for the contestants. Torode stressed the importance of expertise on the show, and believes that Dent's knowledge and passion for food make her the perfect person to join him as a judge for the upcoming series.
Earlier, Torode had put out a statement regarding the allegations against Wallace, stating that he would not comment further while the investigation is ongoing. He also reiterated his love for MasterChef and his role as a judge on the show.
Wallace has been accused of making inappropriate sexual jokes, lewd comments, and even groping female members of the production staff. He has denied these allegations, with his lawyers stating that they are entirely false. Many celebrities, including Ulrika Jonsson and Kirsty Wark, have spoken out in support of the women who have made these allegations.
Dent is not just a food critic, but also a celebrity in her own right. She was part of the line-up for ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! last year, but had to leave the show early due to medical reasons. She also writes a restaurant review column for The Guardian and hosts a celebrity food podcast called Comfort Eating. Her book Comfort Eating: What We Eat When Nobody's Looking was published last year, and she also released her memoir Hungry in 2020.
The BBC's head of entertainment, Kalpna Patel-Knight, expressed her excitement about Dent joining the show. She believes that Dent's energy and expertise will keep the celebrity contestants on their toes, making for an exciting series.
Fans have also shown their support for Dent's new role, with many praising her as the perfect choice for the show. The recent series of MasterChef: The Professionals continued to air amidst the allegations against Wallace, but the BBC has pulled the upcoming celebrity Christmas specials from their festive schedule. It has been reported that Wallace knows his time on the show is over and is expecting to be sacked. He has also reportedly told people that he has lost everything.
Despite denying the allegations and fighting to clear his name, Wallace has come to terms with the reality that his TV career may be at an end. He is being reflective and pragmatic about the situation and has accepted that he may have to step aside, as much as it pains him. We will have to wait and see how the investigation unfolds, but in the meantime, MasterChef is still available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Celebrity MasterChef will return in 2025.
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