Grace Dent was spotted for the first time on Thursday after it was announced that she will be replacing Gregg Wallace as a MasterChef judge.
The food critic, 51, will present the program alongside John Torode, 59, after Gregg, 60 years old, he walked away from bbc show while an investigation into alleged inappropriate behavior is underway.
Gregg has faced a number of complaints about his alleged behavior, including claims that he made inappropriate sexual jokes, shared intimate details of his sex life and even walked around naked except for a sock on his penis.
He would also reportedly take off his clothes in front of women on set, flirt with crew members, and has been accused of groping two crew members.
At least 13 women have made formal complaints about the host on five shows over a 17-year period, and more have described inappropriate experiences on social media since the scandal broke.
Grace Dent was spotted for the first time on Thursday after it was announced that she will be replacing Gregg Wallace as a MasterChef judge.
The food critic, 51, will join John Torode, after Gregg stepped away from the BBC show while an investigation into alleged inappropriate behavior takes place.
John Torode and Grace Dent to present and judge the next series of Celebrity MasterChef
At least 13 people have filed a formal complaint against Wallace, while other celebrities and former contestants have also spoken out about his alleged inappropriate behavior.
Gregg’s lawyers have previously denied any allegations that he engaged in behavior amounting to sexual harassment.
The BBC previously canceled two planned MasterChef Christmas specials amid the publicity storm surrounding the presenter, as producers of the Banijay show launched an investigation.
Author and podcaster Grace has regularly appeared as a guest on MasterChef and last year took part in MasterChef: Battle Of The Critics.
His acquisition of Wallace was first reported last week, with a source telling The Sun that Dent is seen as “the perfect choice” for the show.
They added: ‘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 a disturbing and uncertain time.
‘She’s already a fan favorite and has earned a lot of respect in the food world thanks to her no-nonsense style and sense of humor.
“Bosses already love her, know she’s a confident person, and trust her to help steer the ship with John into more stable waters.”
She said: ‘I’ve been watching MasterChef since I was a little girl sitting with my dad on the sofa. My whole family sees it. It’s about discovering and championing talent, and to have ended up in this position is more than a dream for me.
‘I’m so excited I can’t eat, which seriously hurts a restaurant critic. I feel very lucky to be taking part in the next Celebrity MasterChef.
“Can’t wait to meet new celebrity faces for 2025.”
Dent was born and raised by her parents in Carlisle and later studied at the University of Stirling, where she gained a degree in English Literature.
While at university, Dent began his journalism career, writing articles for Cosmopolitan, according to The Sun.
After leaving full-time education, she worked as an editorial assistant for Vogue and then as a freelance journalist for several magazines such as Marie Claire, Glamor, and more.
He also spent 12 years, from 2000 to 2012, writing about all things television, before coming to The Independent and specializing in food.
As well as appearing as a judge on all three UK MasterChef franchises, Dent has also been a judge on Great British Menu.
Dent was a restaurant critic for The Guardian and from 2011 to 2017 wrote a restaurant column for the Evening Standard.
Dent has appeared regularly on MasterChef as a guest judge and critic on several series.
The food critic also appeared on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2023, but left camp after seven days due to medical issues.
Fans were worried about Grace after she started looking ‘terribly unwell’ during her stay in the jungle.
Fans claimed they didn’t even recognize the usual bubbly and glamorous MasterChef star (pictured left in the jungle and right in MasterChef in 2021)
For many, Grace Dent is most recognizable from her stint on the I’m A Celeb jungle in 2023, before leaving due to health issues.
After completing several bushtucker trials, fans were left concerned about her after she began to look “terribly unwell” during her time in the jungle.
Viewers noted that she appeared haggard, tired and lacking energy, and often appeared on the verge of tears.
Sources said their ordeal at the makeshift jungle camp “was a mental battle rather than a physical one.”
He decided to leave after “losing all his energy” at camp and reaching a breaking point at the prospect of holding another Bushtucker trial, and left a heartfelt farewell note to his campmates.
Three hours after the announcement was made, Grace was spotted at Brisbane airport returning to the UK.
It was recently revealed that Wallace admitted his “defeat” and accepted that his career was over following an investigation by a production company into his alleged sexual harassment and groping.
After the first allegations were made against him, Wallace took to Instagram and blamed a handful of “middle-aged” women for the complaints, before backtracking and apologizing for any “offense caused” after sparking national outrage. with the video.
A source told MailOnline that Gregg had told friends he “accepts his TV career has basically come to an end”.
Among those who have spoken out about his behavior are former Newsnight presenter Kirsty Walk, Penny Lancaster and TV chef Gizzi Erskine.
Torode, who has presented MasterChef since 2005, said: “I have loved working with Grace on MasterChef over the years. She has been a great guest, an inspiring critic and has also set incredible challenges.
‘The experience is what MasterChef is all about, from the contestants to our wonderful production team and us as judges.
“The love of food, the love of MasterChef and that unquestionable experience makes Grace the perfect person to join me as a judge on the upcoming Celebrity MasterChef series.”