Grace Dent and Anna Haugh have officially been announced as MasterChef judges for the upcoming series (Picture: BBC)
Restaurant critic Grace Dent has said she is ‘over the moon’ to be joining MasterChef as a presenter alongside Irish chef Anna Haugh.
Dent, 51, and Haugh, 44 – chef patron of Myrtle Restaurant in Chelsea – will front the BBC cooking competition’s forthcoming 22nd amateur series, replacing long-running hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode.
The pair stepped down earlier this year after a review into alleged misconduct.
Dent, who has been a guest critic on the show for more than a decade, said she was thrilled to return to the kitchen and ‘unearth what culinary skills people have been cooking up behind closed doors.’
She added that ‘it’s a joy to be working with Anna, who brings all her incredible experience to the table,’ describing the new series as ‘such a treat’ she ‘can’t wait to get started.’
Haugh, who previously judged MasterChef: The Professionals in 2022, said she was ‘delighted to be back’ on the programme and ‘judging alongside the wonderful Grace Dent, whose writing and wit I’ve admired for years.’

Grace Dent has become a respected food critic over the years (Picture: Nic Serpell-Rand)

Anna Haugh is the founder of Myrtle restaurant in London (Picture: BBC/Remarkable TV/Graeme Hunter)
She added that MasterChef has ‘long inspired and resonated with cooks in home kitchens and of course in my industry,’ and said she was eager to get into the studio for what she promised would be ‘a great competition.’
Last year, it was announced that Dent would co-host the next series of Celebrity MasterChef alongside John Torode, after Gregg Wallace stepped back temporarily following initial allegations of misconduct. The BBC has not yet revealed its plans for the completed celebrity edition.
Haugh, who runs the acclaimed Myrtle restaurant in Chelsea, is also a familiar face to TV audiences.
She stepped in to replace Wallace in the final episodes of the current MasterChef amateur series, after the allegations against him first emerged during filming last November.
Haugh replaced Wallace in the final episodes of the current MasterChef amateur series (Picture: Jim Dyson/Getty Images)
Filming for the next series – which will be the first in two decades not helmed by Wallace and Torode – is scheduled to begin imminently.
Fans were quick to react to the news on X, with user @R_Henders96 writing under the announcement: ‘Both well deserved, looking forward to tuning in!’
@Foodman62 agreed: ‘Very promising, good choice.’
@misfituser38 chimed in: ‘So glad Anna is back, I really liked her when she stood in for Monica and was a little disappointed when she left. Good to see Grace as her partner in crime so to speak lol ’
The official confirmation of the new hosts’ identities comes after a turbulent period for the beloved cooking show.

Dent co-hosted the most recent unaired series of Celebrity MasterChef alongside John Torode (Picture: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Shine TV)
Wallace, 60, was officially sacked after the bombshell Silkins review, commissioned by MasterChef production company Banijay UK, upheld 45 out of 83 allegations against him, including a case of ‘unwelcome physical contact.’
Torode, 59, has followed him on the way out after confirming that an allegation of racist language included in the report was against him, although he has no recollection of the incident.
In a statement, the BBC revealed Banijay would not be renewing Torode’s contract, meaning that the co-presenters have both been booted from the cooking reality series.
The BBC chose to air the most recent series, which was shot before the investigation, so as not to ruin the hard work put in by the contestants.

Anna Haugh is the founder of Myrtle restaurant in London (Picture: BBC/Remarkable TV/Graeme Hunter)
She added that MasterChef has ‘long inspired and resonated with cooks in home kitchens and of course in my industry,’ and said she was eager to get into the studio for what she promised would be ‘a great competition.’
Last year, it was announced that Dent would co-host the next series of Celebrity MasterChef alongside John Torode, after Gregg Wallace stepped back temporarily following initial allegations of misconduct. The BBC has not yet revealed its plans for the completed celebrity edition.
Haugh, who runs the acclaimed Myrtle restaurant in Chelsea, is also a familiar face to TV audiences.
She stepped in to replace Wallace in the final episodes of the current MasterChef amateur series, after the allegations against him first emerged during filming last November.

Haugh replaced Wallace in the final episodes of the current MasterChef amateur series (Picture: Jim Dyson/Getty Images)
Filming for the next series – which will be the first in two decades not helmed by Wallace and Torode – is scheduled to begin imminently.
Fans were quick to react to the news on X, with user @R_Henders96 writing under the announcement: ‘Both well deserved, looking forward to tuning in!’
@Foodman62 agreed: ‘Very promising, good choice.’
@misfituser38 chimed in: ‘So glad Anna is back, I really liked her when she stood in for Monica and was a little disappointed when she left. Good to see Grace as her partner in crime so to speak lol ’
The official confirmation of the new hosts’ identities comes after a turbulent period for the beloved cooking show.
Dent co-hosted the most recent unaired series of Celebrity MasterChef alongside John Torode (Picture: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Shine TV)
Wallace, 60, was officially sacked after the bombshell Silkins review, commissioned by MasterChef production company Banijay UK, upheld 45 out of 83 allegations against him, including a case of ‘unwelcome physical contact.’
Torode, 59, has followed him on the way out after confirming that an allegation of racist language included in the report was against him, although he has no recollection of the incident.
In a statement, the BBC revealed Banijay would not be renewing Torode’s contract, meaning that the co-presenters have both been booted from the cooking reality series.
The BBC chose to air the most recent series, which was shot before the investigation, so as not to ruin the hard work put in by the contestants.
The BBC’s statement read in part: ‘After careful consideration and consultation with the contestants, we have decided to broadcast the amateur series of MasterChef on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 6 August. MasterChef is an amazing competition which is life-changing for the amateur chefs taking part. The focus of it has always been their skill and their journey.’
The statement added: ‘This has not been an easy decision in the circumstances and we appreciate not everyone will agree with it. In showing the series, which was filmed last year, it in no way diminishes our view of the seriousness of the upheld findings against both presenters.