New MasterChef host Grace Dent has spoken of her love of the Bristol food scene. The restaurant critic is replacing Gregg Wallace as host of Celebrity Masterchef, after allegations of inappropriate sexual comments were made against him.
She has regularly appeared as a guest on MasterChef, and said in a statement hosting the show was “more than a dream to me”, adding she felt “very lucky” to step into the role.
The 51-year-old is a restaurant critic for the Guardian as well as the host of podcast Comfort Eating with Grace Dent. During her career, she has reviewed many Bristol restaurants, including Littlefrench in Westbury Park and Noah’s on Brunel Lock Road.
And in 2018, during her review of restaurant Pasture, she wrote: “I have decided that the city, after London, that excites me the most to eat in is Bristol.”
“Yes, it’s a surprise to me, too,” Grace added. “Bristol is remarkably self-effacing about its greatness. It’s almost as if it saw what happened to Brighton in the 1990s, when everyone with a fine arts degree, a will to procreate and a dream of making artisan candles was priced out of Westbourne Grove.”
“Maybe Bristol won’t thank me for telling you of restaurants such as Sam Elliot’s Pasture. Or for mentioning the lovely Lido, with its pool-side bistro. Or the 12-seater gem Box-E. Or the veggie-centric small plates at Root. Or any projects to which Josh Eggleton turns his hand.”
After she was announced as the replacement she said: “I’ve been watching MasterChef since I was a girl sitting with my dad on the sofa. 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.”
It has not been confirmed whether she will replace Gregg Wallace on the other series in the MasterChef franchise.