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

Masterchef viewers have been left in limbo as they wait to find out who is set to replace Gregg Wallace.

Banijay UK, the production company behind the cooking competition, announced that Wallace would be "stepping away from his role on MasterChef" following complaints from individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct. The Peckham-born TV star has strongly denied the claims made against him, which come from 13 people over a 17-year period, and previously claimed that the accusations originated from "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 the programme and a Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off special would no longer be broadcast due to the "current circumstances". But with so many talented contenders waiting in the wings, who will bosses plump for when it comes to finding a replacement? 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

A true icon of cookery shows, many would no doubt love to see the one and only Nigella Lawson bring her expertise and distinct presenting style to the Masterchef kitchen. And the National Treasure has been given odds of 4/1.

Nigella, 64, has previously appeared on Masterchef Australia as a guest judge on various occasions but has previously made it clear she wouldn't commit herself to the Aussie version of the show as a permanent fixture. 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. My ideal would be to come here for two to three months a year. I certainly miss it when I’m away from it.”

Could she be tempted by an offer back on this side of the world? 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 has reportedly unfollowed Lisa and John on social media after allegedly being left frustrated by John's initial silence on the ongoing investigation.

A source previously told The Sun: "Gregg is absolutely furious and is convinced he has done nothing wrong. Seeing John keeping quiet amid all of this has irked him hugely. Gregg and John have been colleagues for almost two decades and while they aren't the closest of friends, Gregg feels John could say something. He has deleted them from his Instagram account now and unfollowed both of them."

John has now broken his silence on the matter in an Instagram post - but his message apparently didn't go down all that well with Gregg. In a statement shared this week, John wrote: "The thought of anyone who has appeared on our show not having a brilliant experience is awful to hear. Since last Friday I have been away filming MasterChef overseas. I love my job, and I love MasterChef. I love being part of it and will continue to be part of it.

"During the last few days, I’ve been trying to make the best cookery programme, so being busy making the show and caring for our contestants has allowed me little time to think about anything else, but that has been hard."

He continued: “But as I hope everyone appreciates there is an investigation underway, which I fully support, so I cannot make any further comment at this stage and I hope that you all understand and respect 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. The most important thing for him is that his wife is okay, as she and his children are the most important thing to him."

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'". The odds of Lisa replacing Gregg are currently set at 3/1.

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.”

Now fans are calling for Grace to step up and replace Gregg, after she shared a muted clip of herself as a a guest judge on the most recent episode of Celebrity Masterchef, aired back in September. 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. Grace also alongside three heart emojis.

Some followers took this as a sign that Grace could indeed be stepping up to the plate, with her current odds at 5/1. 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 also recently commented on the allegations made against Gregg, telling Sky News's Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge that he has always known the judge to be "full of jokes". According to Tom: "I don't know anything about the allegations and I have no understanding of the story apart from there's allegations made and Gregg has said some things yesterday. And I know he's come out today again and apologised for the things he said yesterday. I've known Gregg for a long time.

"I've always known him as a high-energy person who's always got something to say that is fun and ongoing and I've enjoyed spending time when we film together with Gregg. 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 is always something that continues into the off-screen as well."

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