Who could replace Gregg Wallace? Chefs likely to take on MasterChef from top rival to co-star’s wife

As they wait to find out who will replace Gregg Wallace, Masterchef viewers are in limbo.

Following complaints from people in relation to historical allegations of misconduct, Banijay UK, the production company behind the cooking competition, announced Wallace would be “stepping aside from his role on MasterChef.” The TV star, who was born in Peckham, has vigorously refute the allegations made against him by 13 people over the course of a 17-year period and has previously claimed that the allegations were made by “middle-class women of a certain age.”

Gregg has since apologised for “any offence that]he] caused” by these comments, explaining that he’d felt “under siege”. Now, British brand reputation pro, Andy Barr, has urged MasterChef to find a “new presenter quickly if it is to survive”, explaining: “Although the Christmas Special was cancelled, MasterChef is a global brand, it’s bigger than Gregg, and this beloved programme is unlikely to leave the airwaves for good”.

Meanwhile, it was announced earlier this week that the program and a Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off special would no longer be broadcast due to “current circumstances.” Who will bosses be happy for when looking for a replacement with the abundance of talented contenders waiting in the wings? Here, the Mirror takes a look at some of the current favourites…

James Martin

Former Saturday Kitchen presenter James Martin is currently tipped as the 5/2 favourite to take over from Gregg, and the appointment likely would come as no surprise. James, who currently fronts Saturday Morning with James Martin, has a wealth of food show experience under his belt, from Junior Bake Off to This Morning, and many feel he would make a good fit in the Masterchef kitchen.

Betfred spokesperson Kayley Cornelius said: “With Gregg Wallace unlikely to return to MasterChef, the big question is who might step into his shoes. At the moment, TV chef James Martin is the bookies’ favourite to take over as the new face of the iconic series, with odds of 5/2. With experience hosting Saturday Kitchen and regularly appearing on This Morning, a prime-time show could be the perfect next step in James’s already impressive career.”

Nigella Lawson

Many would undoubtedly enjoy seeing the one and only Nigella Lawson bring her expertise and distinctive presenting style to the Masterchef kitchen, a true icon of cookery shows. Additionally, odds of 4/1 have been set for the National Treasure.

Nigella, 64, has previously made a number of appearances on Masterchef Australia as a guest judge, but she has previously stated she won’t commit to the show’s permanent home in Australia. As she once explained in an interview with TV WEEK: “I absolutely adore being in Australia, but I wouldn’t move here full-time. My children, my family, and so many of my friends are in the UK. I want to spend two to three months in this place annually. When I’m away from it, I’ll miss it.

Could a proposal from another side of the world tempt her? Fans will just have to wait and see.

Lisa Faulkner

John Torode’s actress wife, Lisa Faulkner, has long proven herself to be an expert on all things food, with she and John having worked together on various culinary projects. The couple first locked eyes on the set of the 2010 season of Celebrity Masterchef, which saw Lisa emerge victorious above stars such as Jennie Bond and Danielle Lloyd. And it soon became apparent her prowess for cooking was far more than just a flash in the pan.

Lisa, 52, and John, 59, now present John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen, with their natural camaraderie proving a hit with viewers. Back in September, they even published a cookery book together, inspired by their hit Sunday morning show.

It may well make perfect sense, therefore, for Lisa to join John in the kitchen – however, it’s unlikely Gregg will be too happy about it. Gregg allegedly unfollowed Lisa and John on social media after being frustrated by John’s initial silence regarding the ongoing investigation.

Greggg is “absolutely furious” and “sure to have done nothing wrong,” according to a source close to The Sun. He has been incredibly irritated by John’s continued silence amid all of this. Gregg and John have known each other for almost 20 years, and Gregg thinks John has a point to make. He has since removed both of them from his Instagram account.

John has since broken his silence on the subject in an Instagram post, but it seems like Gregg didn’t like what he saw. John wrote in a statement released this week that it was “awful to hear anyone who has appeared on our show not having a fantastic experience.” Since last Friday, I haven’t been on location shooting MasterChef overseas. I love my job, and I love MasterChef. It is a part of which I enjoy and will continue to be.

Being busy making the show and taking care of our contestants has given me little time to think about anything else because I’ve been trying to make the best cookery program in the last few days, but that has been difficult.

He continued, “But I can’t make any further comment at this point because I hope everyone understands there is a probe underway, and I fully support that. I hope you all understand and appreciate my silence on the matter moving forward.”

It’s been reported that this response, which did not offer any words of support or even name his fellow Masterchef judge, has” devastated “Gregg. A source told the Express:” Gregg is devastated by John’s response and feels gutted that John isn’t supporting him publicly. His wife’s health is the most important thing to him because he values his children more than anything else.

Meanwhile, back in October, Lisa, claimed that Gregg made ‘ rude joke after rude joke ‘ during her time on the cooking series. While promoting their new cookbook, John and Lisa’s Kitchen, at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Lisa divulged a crude jibe Gregg allegedly told, confessing”, I’m probably not allowed to say this”.

As reported by the Daily Mail, Lisa told attendees:” Gregg just told rude joke after rude joke to the crew. You’re just sitting there, and if you’re on the front bench just chopping away thinking, ‘ I’ve got ten minutes left’, and he’s saying, ‘ So this girl walked into a bar… And I’m going, ‘ Please, I don’t want to hear this joke'”. At 3 / 1, Lisa has the best chance of taking Gregg’s place.

Grace Dent

Food writer Grace Dent is a regular critic on MasterChef, and last year appeared on MasterChef: Battle Of The Critics. Appearing to shed tears of joy after the judges complimented her dish, a delighted Grace, 51, told the cameras: “I didn’t realise how emotional I was about it all until they said they liked my food at the end. It lifts all the pressure off you. I just felt lighter and giddy and certainly a little bit proud of myself.”

After sharing a muted clip of herself as a guest judge on the most recent episode of Celebrity Masterchef, which first aired back in September, fans are now calling for Grace to step up and take Gregg’s place. The footage was accompanied by the subtitles:” The brief today is comfort food but with decadence. I want you to feed me skilfully, impress me, but also expand my waistline. “Over the video, Grace wrote” Celeb MC 2024″, tagging hair stylist Lewis Pallett, makeup artist Topaz Knight, and stylist Peter Bevan. Additionally, there are three heart emojis next to Grace.

With her current odds of 5/1, some followers saw this as a sign that Grace was indeed upping the ante. One fan wrote:” New presenter please. “Another, appearing to reference recent remarks made by Gregg, commented:” We need more women of a certain age on our screen. “

Tom Kerridge

TV chef Tom Kerridge is also considered to be in with a shot at the coveted position. Having previously worked on the judging panel of the Great British Menu, Tom, 51, certainly has what it takes to help nurture the next batch of culinary talent.

Tom recently addressed the allegations made against Gregg by saying he had known the judge to be “full of jokes” and was “full of jokes.” Tom said, “I don’t know anything about the allegations, and I have no understanding of the story, aside from the allegations that were made, and Gregg said some things yesterday. And I’m aware that he has apologized for what he said yesterday. I’ve known Gregg for a long time.

“I’ve always known him as a high-energy person who always has something to say that’s entertaining and ongoing, and I’ve enjoyed the time we spend with Gregg when we film together. But in terms of the allegations, I’ve got no real understanding of what’s going on, so I can’t really add comment to it apart from, yes, I know Gregg, and I’ve always known him to have lots of…

” He’s always full of jokes, and he’s always full of charisma. That front of the camera always extends into the background as well.

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Source: Mirror