Gregg Wallace has been sacked from MasterChef following an inquiry into his alleged misconduct.
The 60-year-old stepped back from hosting the BBC cooking show last year after several historical complaints came to light. MasterChef continued to air last year amid these allegations, but two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials were pulled from the BBC’s schedule in December 2024.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said she would look to impose new standards in the creative industry amid the allegations.
As the show continues, who will take over from Gregg Wallace?
Who will be the new MasterChef host?
Following the allegations about Wallace’s behaviour, rumours swirled about who would replace him.
Would it be James Martin, host of Saturday Kitchen? Or Angela Hartnett, the Dish podcast co-host? Another rumoured candidate was Andi Oliver, a regular panelist on The Kitchen Cabinet and judge on Food Glorious Food.
Then, on December 18, the BBC revealed that Grace Dent would be replacing Wallace.
Dent, who is an author, podcaster and food critic, has regularly appeared as a guest on MasterChef. Last year she was a contestant on MasterChef: Battle Of The Critics.
In a statement, the upcoming MasterChef host described the role as “more than a dream to me,” revealing that she felt “very lucky” to be taking over from Wallace.
"I've been watching MasterChef since I was a girl sitting with my dad on the sofa,” Dent said.
“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."
The BBC reported that more than 50 people have made claims to the corporation about Wallace including allegations that he groped one MasterChef worker and pulled his trousers down in front of another.
On Tuesday, the former greengrocer said in an Instagram post that he had been cleared of the “most serious and sensational accusations” against him, but added that he recognised some of his humour and language was inappropriate “at times” and apologised for this.
Who is Grace Dent?
Grace Dent was born on October 1973 in the city of Carlisle, Cumbria. She went on to study English Literature at the University of Stirling in Scotland, where she got into journalism, writing features for Cosmopolitan.
After graduating, she became an editorial assistant for Vogue, then worked as a freelance writer for magazines such as Glamour, Marie Claire and more.
Dent had a restaurant column at The Standard called Grace and Flavour between 2011 and 2017 and is now the host of The Guardian’s Comfort Eating podcast.
The critic has already made appearances on Master Chef, including MasterChef UK, MasterChef: The Professionals, and Celebrity MasterChef.
Beyond her penchant for cooking, Dent has appeared on a number of other TV Shows, including The Apprentice and I’m A Celebrity, in 2023. But a week into the show, Dent announced that she would be leaving due to medical reasons.
