Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
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.
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.
She is also the author of 11 novels, including her Diary of a Chav young adult fiction series, Diary of a Snob, and her memoir Hunger: A memoir of wanting more.
Reacting to the announcement, Dent 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.
“I’m so excited that I can’t eat, which is severely detrimental to a restaurant critic. I feel very lucky to be stepping in for the next Celebrity MasterChef.
“I can’t wait to meet the fresh celebrity faces for 2025.”
Speaking about being one of the few women to be on the show, she told Caroline Hirons on the Glad We Had This Chat podcast, “I’ve got to be on MasterChef on HD TV. No one has ever seen themselves on HD TV and gone, ‘Oh you look amazing’. The camera sticks on more weight. Being one of the only women that does it, it’s been about clawing back calories.”
Dent believes that food connects us to our emotions, telling Virgin Radio last year, “Food unlocks memories we can’t get out normally”.
