BBC bosses are set to announce the I’m A Celebrity and Strictly Come Dancing star who will replace former presenter Gregg Wallace while he undergoes an investigation for misconduct
Strictly Come Dancing star Grace Dent will reportedly be announced as Gregg Wallace’s replacement on MasterChef in a matter of days.
The former presenter and judge stepped away from the BBC cookery show after a string of women came forward to make claims about him. As a result of the claims, Banijay UK, the show’s production company, revealed it would be launching an external review looking at historical allegations of misconduct.
Gregg has continued to deny any wrongdoing, with his lawyers insisting “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.” But even so, he is set to be replaced.
Food critic Grace, 51, has a plethora of experience under her belt, having written about food for years. She’s also appeared on MasterChef regularly as a critic, as well as had a foray into mainstream TV with stints on Strictly and I’m A Celebrity.
Grace is already a ‘fan favourite’ on MasterChef (
Image:
BBC)
The BBC is set to announce Grace as Gregg’s replacement by the end of the week, The Sun reports, with Grace joining forces with his former co-host John Torode for a new era of MasterChef. A source told the paper: “Grace is the perfect choice to replace Gregg on Masterchef.
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“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 an upsetting and uncertain time.”
The source added that Grace is a “fan favourite”, and her “sense of humour” and “no-nonsense” attitude had garnered respect in the “foodie world”. They explained that bosses at MasterChef believe her to be a “safe pair of hands” who can “steer” MasterChef towards “steadier waters” with John.
The Mirror has reached out to both Gregg and Grace’s reps for comment. A BBC spokesperson declined to comment.
Meanwhile, Gregg is said to have admitted that he’s “lost everything” after the saga that has unravelled over recent weeks. An unnamed source said the judge has “come to terms” with the fact that he is leaving MasterChef.
Speaking to The Sun, they said: “Gregg’s conceded he has lost everything. To put it bluntly, he’s told people, ‘I’m f***ed’. He came out swinging but he has quietly conceded that he knows his time on MasterChef is over and that he will be stepping aside. He has contested the sexual allegations and insisted any jokes he made were just jokes. He said he never meant to cause any offence. Gregg has been under a huge amount of pressure since the allegations came to light and tried his best to fight his corner.”
Gregg added fuel to the fire with a now-deleted Instagram video in which he blamed “middle-class women of a certain age” for complaining about him. He later apologised, writing: “The thought of anyone who has appeared on our show not having a brilliant experience is awful to hear, and I have found the recent press reports truly upsetting. But as I hope everyone appreciates there is an investigation underway, which I fully support, so I cannot make any further comment at this stage… I hope that you all understand and respect my silence on the matter moving forward.”
