Celebrity MasterChef confirms Gregg Wallace replacement

Celebrity MasterChef confirms Gregg's replacement BBC

Celebrity MasterChef has confirmed Gregg Wallace's replacement for the next season of the show.

The judge recently stepped away from the BBC series while an investigation is conducted into historic misconduct allegations. Lawyers for Wallace have denied that he engages in sexually harassing behaviour.

Now, the BBC has announced that restaurant critic and I'm a Celebrity star Grace Dent will step in as a judge alongside John Torode for the 2025 season.

"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.

Shine TV/BBC

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"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."

Torode added: "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."

BBC

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Dent has regularly appeared on MasterChef over the years, and competed on MasterChef: Battle of the Critics 2023.

Wallace has recently been the subject of allegations from multiple individuals, with more claims of inappropriate behaviour made since production company Banijay UK announced an investigation last month. Amid the investigation, two planned MasterChef Christmas specials were pulled from schedules.

Celebrity MasterChef airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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