Who is Grace Dent? Behind the rise of Masterchef’s new host, the vegan food critic and reality TV star
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Star is known for her straight-shooting comments. Grace Dent has been confirmed as BBC MasterChef’s new host, after a chaotic period for the popular and family-friendly cooking programme. The 51-year-old will be replacing Gregg Wallace, 60, after the presenter was forced to stepped back from the show after nearly 20 years. Various allegations emerged that he had made sexual comments and behaved inappropriately to staff and guests. Wallace and his representatives vehemently deny all the claims made.
![[Dent dropped out of ‘I’m a Celebrity’ on medical grounds]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/11/27/17/newFile-2.jpg)
Before joining MasterChef alongside veteran host John Torode, Dent enjoyed a successful career as a food critic, journalist, author, and broadcaster. She regularly appears as a critic on MasterChef and is a favourite with fans for her straight-shooting comments. Last year, she switched roles and served as a contestant on the show’s offshoot, MasterChef: The Battle of the Critics.
Born in Carlisle, Cumbria, she is currently a restaurant critic for The Guardian. In a joint deal she worked for both The Independent and Evening Standard from 2012, and served as the Standard’s restaurant columnist between 2011 and 2017. Last year, she appeared on I’m a Celebrity and dramatically quit the show citing “medical grounds”.
Ahead of landing in Australia she revealed she “said yes” to signing up for the show after having undergone “a really difficult time over the last four or five years”. Dent describes herself as “mainly vegan” since the early 2010s, and considers herself “flexitarian”, adopting a plant-based diet.
