Grace Dent is billed as “a tough judge” who will not be seen as the “soft choice” to replace Gregg Wallace, according to a body language expert who reviewed Masterchef’s new promotional photo.
The 51-year-old, who grew up in Carlisle, Cumbria, replaced Gregg Wallace on the popular BBC show, which pushes contestants to show off their culinary skills in the kitchen.
She will judge the upcoming 20th series of Celebrity MasterChef alongside John Torode following news that Wallace will step down from the role amid an external review of his behaviour.
Wallace faces claims from at least 13 people who accused him of inappropriate behavior on five shows over a 17-year period.
The allegations against Wallace include wandering around the set naked with a sock on his penis, inappropriate pranks and groping crew members.
On Wednesday, the Masterchef Instagram account shared a photo of Dent dressed in a sapphire blue dress alongside Torode.
Although Torode, who has presented the show since 2005, was smiling, Dent had a rather thoughtful and serious expression on his face, along with his hand on his hip.
Reviewing the image, body language expert Judi James said Dent’s “strong” pose makes her look like she was “born for the job.”
Grace Dent, 51, to judge the upcoming 20th series of Celebrity MasterChef with John Torode
Gregg Wallace has faced a number of complaints about his alleged behavior over the years.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Judi said: ‘This is a very strong body language ‘announcement’ gesture on the part of Grace, whose emphatic and deliberate pose suggests a direct, uncompromising, honest and confident approach to the work.
“It seems as if this is the job he might have been born to do and the way his pose ‘ignores’ his co-host – i.e. there is no interaction or mirroring here – suggests that he will happily take on a leading role.”
Judi added that Dent’s aura hints that she may be a difficult judge to impress and that she will not be seen as “the soft choice” to replace Wallace.
She said: “Her torso and elbow create a very angular appearance with the elbow protruding suggesting a state of partial aggressive arousal, hinting that she will be a tough judge.
‘Her pose is like the antidote to the softer, gentler poses of presenters like Holly Willoughby and Tess Daly, with her fingers splayed at her waist also projecting confidence.
“However, his facial expression also hints at some humor, with the horizontal smile with closed lips and the direct gaze at the camera.
“His chin juts out at an angle, suggesting that he doesn’t come to work as the soft option after Gregg’s dramas, but is nonetheless the smart, emotionally intelligent option.”
Grace Dent (pictured in yellow) previously appeared on Masterchef as a guest.
Judi added that Dent’s aura hints that she may be a difficult judge to impress and that she will not be seen as “the soft choice” to replace Wallace.
Dent previously worked as a restaurant critic for The Guardian and wrote a restaurant column for the Evening Standard, as well as appearing regularly on MasterChef as a guest.
Accompanying the Instagram image was a statement from Torode that read: “I have loved working with Grace on MasterChef over the years.
‘She has been an excellent guest, an inspiring critic and has also posed some incredible challenges.
MasterChef is all about experience, 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.”
After leaving full-time education, she had an illustrious career as a writer, working 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.
For six years he wrote a restaurant column titled “Grace and Flavor” for The Evening Standard.
Dent has often appeared on various television shows criticizing people’s dishes; you may have seen her appear on MasterChef: The Professionals, Celebrity MasterChef, MasterChef UK.
He was also a judge on a BBC program called Great British Menu.
The star has also appeared on a variety of shows including The Apprentice: You’re Fired, The Now Show on Radio 4, Have I Got News For You and Very British Problems.
The food critic has also appeared on Pointless Celebrities, The Review Show Film 2012, Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe, The Culture Show and Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled.