Grace Dent quips she’s ‘drunk on power’ after replacing Gregg Wallace on BBC MasterChef amid ‘torrid’ saga
Celebrity MasterChef’s newest judge Grace Dent has opened up on how it feels to be joining the show as a permanent judge after replacing Gregg Wallace.
Back in November 2024, Wallace stepped down from his role as a presenter on the show due to former celebrities coming forward and complaining about his behaviour.
Many claimed he was a “bully” and issued sexual remarks during their appearances on the show, with the complaints made to the BBC from individuals about historical allegations of misconduct being investigated.
A statement from Banijay UK said: “This week the BBC received complaints from individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct while working with presenter Gregg Wallace on one of our shows.
“Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company Banijay UK, we feel that it is appropriate to conduct an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate.
“While this review is underway, Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef and is committed to fully co-operating throughout the process.
Today, Dent joined This Morning hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard to discuss how she felt about replacing Wallace and admitted she was already “drunk on power”.
Welcoming her to the show, Deeley said: “Straight-talking food critic Grace Dent has spent years sampling the best food in restaurants all over the world making her the perfect choice for the new Celebrity MasterChef judge. What an exciting job!”
Dent giggled and quipped: “I am absolutely over the moon! Honestly, I am already drunk on power!”
Shephard interjected and added: “Wielding that power! It has been a torrid time for MasterChef, it is an amazing show, a wonderful brand and a global brand as well.
“What is created, the opportunity it gives to chefs, professional chefs, celebrity chefs, new chefs, was there any trepidation about picking up the reins?”
Dent admitted: “Maybe for about 10 seconds but now I have those reins. Look, you are absolutely right, it is one of the most wonderful shows on British TV.
“When you go out into the public you feel that warmth. You can’t eat anywhere in privacy ever again, you can’t even go into a supermarket without people looking at your trolley!
“So it is lovely and it was a dream come true to move to this role and it is a very different role. Because now, beforehand it was judging but I was never that person who had to look them in the eye and send them home and now I am that person.
“Now I am the baddie, and I don’t enjoy doing that!”
Whilst Wallace has denied the claims, the star still stepped back from the BBC show despite being at the helm alongside Torode for 20 years.
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The former presenter claimed he has worked with over 4,000 contestants “of all different ages, all different backgrounds, all walks of life” in his 20 years on MasterChef.
“Apparently now I’m reading in the paper there’s been 13 complaints in that time,” he said.
The 60-year-old then claimed the accusations had come from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age just from Celebrity MasterChef.”
His lawyers have previously said: “It is entirely false that he (Wallace) engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.”