Who would you like to see as the next presenters of BBC’s MasterChef? Now that both vacancies for the job have come up after the sacking of Gregg Wallace and John Torode, that is the question doing the rounds in TV exec boardrooms and focus groups across the country. While we don’t want to show favouritism, we’ve picked 10 candidates (plus a few more outside chances) that we think should at least be in the running for prime-time TV’s top cooking competition, and added our own odds of success for good measure. Selection processes don’t get tougher than this.
Anna Haugh
The Irish chef behind Myrtle in Chelsea has already notched up a number of BBC appearances, including Anna Haugh’s Big Irish Food Tour, where she and her celebrity friends embark on a food tour of Ireland, and being a chef on Ready Steady Cook. She also has form with MasterChef, having previously appeared on the show as a guest judge. When Monica Galetti announced she was stepping away from her role as judge on MasterChef: The Professionals (see below), Haugh stepped into the role, proving she has know how for the job full time .
Strengths: A good TV presence, a very likeable persona and knows her onions.
Odds: 50/1
James Acaster
With his Off Menu podcast co-presenter Ed Gamble ensconced as a judge on BBC’s Great British Menu, James Acaster could well be wondering when his time will come to show off his prowess in a similar format. His judging experience includes reviewing posh snacks for Lad Bible, but Acaster seems more than competent in applying such rigour to chef-cooked dishes.
Strengths: Acaster would bring wit to the cooking competition, and possibly also a touch of welcome mayhem.
Odds: 40/1
Grace Dent
Writer, broadcaster and author Grace Dent has many strings to her bow, including being restaurant critic for The Guardian and appearing on BBC’s Great British Menu. Known for calling it like is, Dent’s phlegmatic persona and dry sense of humour would add some much-needed pep to the show. Indeed, MasterChef execs already appear somewhat convinced, having brought her in to replace Wallace in the most recent series of Celebrity MasterChef.
Strengths: Dent’s familiarity with the show and her critic credentials will add to what was lacking during the Torode and Wallace era.
Odds: 5/1 joint favourite
Monica Galetti
Monica Galetti is a regular judge on MasterChef: The Professionals alongside fellow chef Marcus Wareing. In 2022 she stepped away from her judging role, which she had done for 14 years, citing being unable to balance the three-month TV filming schedule with her restaurant and family commitments, but made a return to show a year later. With her restaurant Mere now closed, Galetti might find she has more time on her hands for the filming of the show.
Strengths: A formidable judge that doesn’t take prisoners, and someone who already has strong associations with brand MasterChef.
Odds: 10/1
Loyd Grossman
The OG MasterChef presenter, Loyd Grossman fronted the format in its original guise from 1990 to 2000 when the show was a little more homespun. After leaving the show Grossman kept his hand in TV cooking competitions hosting Step Up To The Plate with former dancer Anton du Beke in 2008, which saw amateur cooks pitched against professional chefs. Now aged 74, the Boston-born celebrity might not have the appetite to reignite his role as taste maker (and might not need the cash given the continued popularity of his range of sauces), but in a world where retro seems to be all the rage he could be just what the show needs.
Strengths: As host first time round Grossman made the show his own, and there’s no reason why he couldn’t again.
Odds: 100/1
Jimi Famuwera
The former Evening Standard restaurant critic knows the MasterChef world having appeared as a judge on both MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals and also having made an appearance on Step Up To The Plate (see Loyd Grossman). Famuwera would likely excel as a judge and co-host and is one of our favourites to get the gig, alongside Grace Dent (see below).
Strengths: Likeable, engaging and supportive, Famuwera is exactly the kind of person that would set ship MasterChef back on an even keel.
Odds: 5/1 joint favourite
Sally Abe
The former chef-patron at The Pem and now head of food at Cotswolds pub The Bull Charlbury, Sally Abe’s star has continued to rise, helped by her warts and all reveal of the restaurant industry in her book A Woman’s Place is in the Kitchen. Abe has tried her hand at cooking videos on Instagram and has made regular TV appearances cooking on programmes such as Saturday Kitchen.
Strengths: A chef very much of the moment whose empathy for people in the industry would be a good counterpoint to Gregg Wallace’s approach.
Odds: 15/1
Ainsley Harriott
The larger-than-life celebrity chef is best known for his involvement in BBC cooking programmes Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook and Ready Steady Cook where a liberal sprinkling of ‘Suzy salt’ and ‘Percy pepper’ on his food was often accompanied by a song and dance routine. Younger viewers will most likely have never seen Harriott on the small screen, so his return would certainly make an impact.
Strengths: There’s no one quite like Harriott, and the format could benefit from a touch of levity.
Odds: 150/1
Poppy O’Toole
Self-proclaimed ‘potato queen’ Poppy O’Toole is a Michelin-trained chef who shot to fame during Covid after posting videos of herself cooking recipes on social media. With an Instagram account with more than 1.3 million followers (her videos have had more than 1 billion views) O’Toole is now a household name with four cookbooks to her name (and a fifth on the way), all of which have been Sunday Times bestsellers. Her TV appearances have included Saturday Kitchen and going toe-to-toe with Giorgio Locatelli on the E4 show Celebrity Cooking School and she has also been a judge on Young MasterChef. With that in mind, she would take the role of MasterChef co-host in her stride.
Strengths: O’Toole’s vast social media presence could bring in a whole new audience for the show that some believe is a bit outdated.
Odds: 8/1
William Sitwell
A regular judge on MasterChef, William Sitwell has carved out a niche of being one of the tougher critics to sit at the table. At one point Sitwell may have been a true front runner for the role but his odds have lengthened since he publicly defended Wallace last year when the allegations about him first arose and has now done the same with Torode. With the BBC looking to distance itself from the former presenters, this stance may not go down too well with MasterChef’s producers.
Strengths: Never one to shy away from an opinion, Sitwell has a gravitas that works well on the show.
Odds: 80/1
Outside odds: potential hosts who didn’t make the cut
The food scene isn’t short of people who could step into the shoes of Gregg Wallace and John Torode. Other potential candidates include Toby Inskip - AKA Eating with Tod - whose hand-rubbing, food gorging antics could translate from social media to the small screen, as could TopJaw’s Jesse Burgess, who has a face for TV and has already landed a role on an Apple TV+ documentary series about cooking. Those with true chef credentials are not to be underestimated, not least Jackson Boxer, whose eloquence (and good looks) would make him a good candidate, and Kate Austen, who has grown a strong following on social media following her success on Great British Menu. Others to consider include Matt Tebutt (probably too busy), and Giles Coren (too off brand?). And what of social media’s sexualmasterchef? The name might not inspire production company Banijay UK, and he’d have to break cover and no longer hide behind a fish head, but it would certainly be different.