Who will replace John Torode on MasterChef?
Torode and Wallace have been dropped from the popular BBC cooking programme after complaints were upheld against them
Speculation has erupted about who will front MasterChef after the firing of Gregg Wallace and John Torode – and odds are revealing the identity of the frontrunners.
After allegations of inappropriate behaviour surfaced against Wallace in November 2024, an investigation was launched by the show’s production company Banijay UK. More than half of the 83 allegations levied against Wallace were substantiated, but the report also upheld an accusation of “offensive racist language” allegedly used by Torode. The BBC and Banijay have fired them both.
Questions remain about who will replace the presenters, who have both hosted the show together since it was revamped in 2005. There is also uncertainty about the future of a series recorded prior to the scandal being made public. While Grace Dent was confirmed as Wallace’s replacement on Celebrity MasterChef last year, the BBC has not confirmed the pair’s replacement on the main show, MasterChef.
Below we’ve compiled a list of the frontrunners – and the odds being offered by Gambling.com.
Tom Kerridge – 11/8
A strong favourite is British chef Tom Kerridge, who runs his own pub, the Hand and Flowers, in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. Kerridge is no stranger to MasterChef, having appeared as a guest over the years, but he is also known for Great British Menu and Saturday Kitchen.
The 51-year-old has also hosted BBC programmes How to Lose Weight for Good, Top of the Shop, Bake Off: Crème de la Crème and currently presents Food and Drink on BBC Two – so he’s more than qualified for the role.
Chris Stark – 6/4
Perhaps the reason for shooting former Radio 1 DJ Chris Stark, 38, up the list is the fact he co-hosts weekly pub quiz Proper Tasty alongside strong favourite Kerridge – so the BBC will have an eye on that readymade partnership. No chemistry tests required! Stark, who now co-hosts Capital Breakfast alongside Jordan North and Sian Welby, could bring some light reprieve to the often serious cookery competition.
Big Zuu – 13/8
Rapper and TV personality Big Zuu has set himself apart as a name in the world of cuisine thanks to hit show Big Zuu’s Big Eats, which sees him discuss memorable and favourite foods with a new celebrity each episode. Considering Wallace and Torode had presented MasterChef since 2005, the BBC would be sensible to open the format to a younger generation; Big Zuu, 29, could be the one to do exactly that.
Grace Dent – 15/8
After replacing Wallace on the celebrity version of the show, food critic – and brief I’m a Celebrity contestant – Grace Dent is an obvious choice to take over full time. Dent, 51, regularly appears as a critic on the series 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 spin-off, MasterChef: The Battle of the Critics.
James Martin – 2/1
Could James Martin be lured back to the BBC from ITV? The Saturday Morning host has been popular with viewers ever since he hosted BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen from 2006 to 2016. However, bosses might hear alarm bells: in 2023, the chef apologised for “any offence or upset caused” after being accused of “bullying” his ITV colleagues. Away from his TV commitments, Martin, 53, teaches at The Kitchen – Cookery School at Chewton Glen, a cookery school and relaxed dining restaurant based in New Milton, Hampshire.
Mel Giedroyc – 5/2
Mel Giedroyc was one half of the duo that made The Great British Bake Off such a TV delicacy when it first started, her asides with co-host Sue Perkins fast-tracking the show to global success. Odds are suggesting the 57-year-old is in the running, with the BBC hoping to emulate her Bake Off success (she left the show when it moved to Channel 4) while also luring in her many new, younger fans after a memorable stint on comedy series Taskmaster.
Nigella Lawson – 3/1
The TV landscape needs more Nigella Lawson, and so, her MasterChef appointment would undoubtedly be embraced by the many viewers who tune into her BBC specials. Those who haven’t watched other iterations of MasterChef won’t know that Lawson has a history with the show; she has regularly appeared as a guest judge since 2016 on the Australian version, making the Nigella Bites presenter, 65, an ideal fit for the role.
Monica Galetti and Marcus Wareing – 7/2
Perhaps an obvious, and safe, choice would be Monica Galetti, the 49-year-old former senior sous-chef at Le Gavroche, and Marcus Wareing, 55, who was the chef and owner at the one-Michelin-starred restaurant Marcus. The pair currently host MasterChef spin-off The Professionals. While their promotion to host the main MasterChef show might be the logical next step, it would almost certainly guarantee their tenure on The Professionals would draw to a close – something the BBC might be loath to do.
Andi and Miquita Oliver – 4/1
Great British Menu host Andi Oliver, 62, is a strong contender and would make history as the first ever Black woman to present the programme. Oliver, a former member of the band Rip Rig + Panic, currently hosts the cookery podcast Stirring it Up with her daughter (and Lily Allen’s Miss Me? co-host) Miquita Oliver, 41.
Lisa Snowdon – 9/2
Bosses might be hoping to secure a former Celebrity MasterChef winner as a replacement – and the current favourite is Lisa Snowdon, who was left on “cloud nine” after being crowned in 2022. Snowdon, 53, has proved herself a cooking extraordinaire, so would be well equipped to judge contestants’ kitchen skills. Torode said of her triumph: “Lisa, throughout this competition, has taken the everyday and elevated it into something special. This final, she dared to do something that was going to be a gamble, and the gamble paid off. Her food is fantastic.”
Alison Hammond – 5/1
Could Alison Hammond continue her British screen domination by hosting MasterChef? Her schedule suggests not – as well as This Morning, she is the current host of The Great British Bake Off and she replaced Paul O’Grady on For the Love of Dogs. The 50-year-old’s appointment would certainly lighten up the show in a post-Wallace and Torode era.
Angellica Bell – 11/2
When Angellica Bell was “secretly sacked” from Martin Lewis’ ITV finance show in 2023, she received an outpouring of love from viewers who were left upset by her absence. Shrewd BBC bosses might have taken notice of this. In addition, Bell, 49, didn’t torpedo her career during a Celebrity Big Brother appearance earlier this year, so she is certainly a presenter to be considered.
Gordon Ramsay – 6/1
Gordon Ramsay needs no introduction – although, if you do, a Netflix documentary on the foul-mouthed Kitchen Nightmares chef will be released next year – and it’s hard to imagine a conversation suggesting him wouldn’t occur. But the fact remains that, out of everyone on this list, Ramsay, 58, doesn’t need MasterChef and, as the owner of 90 restaurants worldwide, might be biting off more than he can chew hosting the show.
Poppy O’Toole – 4/1
Michelin-trained chef O’Toole, 31, has self-titled herself as the “Potato Queen” online, and could bring in a much younger audience were the BBC looking to overhaul the show.
Rylan Clark – 8/1
The gregarious Rylan, who has successfully evolved from joke X Factor contestant into TV presenting royalty, is already hired by the BBC, where he injects his dose of fun into Radio 2 on Saturday afternoons. The 36-year-old would certainly froth up the MasterChef kitchen, alleviating stress with his comforting presence – and for those wondering if he’s a good cook, he was a finalist on the celebrity version of the show in 2015.
Lorraine Pascale – 10/1
Model-turned-chef Lorraine Pascale, 52, is already a hit with BBC viewers thanks to her TV show Baking Made Easy, which she’s hosted on BBC Two since 2011. Her jump to MasterChef would be a seamless transition.
The Independent has contacted the BBC and Banijay for comment.
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