Celebrity MasterChef Gets a New Judge: Giorgio Locatelli Steps In After John Torode Exit

BBC''s Celebrity MasterChef is heading into its next series with a brand new judging line-up for the first time in two decades. On 3 June 2026, the BBC confirmed that Italian Michelin-starred chef Giorgio Locatelli will sit alongside restaurant critic Grace Dent for the upcoming summer run, completing a top-to-bottom overhaul of the show''s presenting team that began with Gregg Wallace stepping back in late 2024 and was sealed when John Torode''s contract was not renewed in July 2025.

The new series has already been filmed at Digbeth Loc Studios in Birmingham and is scheduled to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this summer. A specific premiere date has not yet been published by the broadcaster, but trailers and a first-look image of Locatelli and Dent have started circulating across the show''s official channels. For viewers used to seeing Torode and Wallace banter their way through risottos and pavlovas, this will be the first Celebrity MasterChef in the show''s twenty-one-year history without either of them in the kitchen.

The presenter change explained: who is in, who is out, and why

The simplest way to read the new line-up is to take it in two halves, because the Wallace exit and the Torode exit are separate stories that happened to land within months of each other.

Gregg Wallace stepped back from MasterChef duties in November 2024 after BBC News reported allegations of inappropriate sexual comments from thirteen people who had worked with him between 2005 and 2022. The BBC and producer Banijay UK commissioned an independent review by the UK law firm Lewis Silkin in December 2024. Over the following seven months the review widened, and the investigators ultimately considered 83 specific allegations from 41 complainants. The Lewis Silkin team substantiated 45 of those allegations. In July 2025 the BBC publicly cut ties, stating that Wallace''s return to MasterChef was untenable and that the corporation had no plans to work with him in future.

John Torode''s departure is a separate finding from the same review. Lewis Silkin upheld an allegation that Torode used what was described as an extremely offensive racist term in 2018. Banijay UK and the BBC confirmed in July 2025 that Torode''s contract would not be renewed. Torode said in a public statement that he had no recollection of the incident, that he was shocked and saddened by the finding, and that he would never wish to cause offence. He had presented MasterChef since 2005.

Into that gap step Grace Dent, who had already been announced as Wallace''s long-term replacement, and Giorgio Locatelli, confirmed on 3 June 2026 as the second seat on the Celebrity MasterChef bench. The BBC has framed it as a deliberate reset rather than a like-for-like swap, leaning on Dent''s critical eye and Locatelli''s working-chef credentials to give the format a different centre of gravity.

Who is Giorgio Locatelli

If the name is unfamiliar to casual BBC One viewers, Locatelli is one of the most recognisable Italian chefs working in the UK. He runs Locanda Locatelli, the Michelin-starred Italian restaurant in central London that he opened with his wife Plaxy in 2002. The restaurant has held a Michelin star almost continuously since 2003 and is widely cited as one of the benchmarks for fine-dining Italian cooking in Britain.

Locatelli is not new to television. UK audiences will know him from food shows including Tony and Giorgio with Antonio Carluccio and a long run of BBC food features. More relevant to this appointment, he has been a judge on MasterChef Italia since 2018, which means he comes to the British show with deep recent muscle memory for the MasterChef format, just in a different language.

In interviews around the announcement, Locatelli said hosting Celebrity MasterChef alongside Grace Dent was a real honour, and cheerfully described himself as the bad cop of the pairing. He said he is strict about cleanliness and organisation in the kitchen, which is a useful self-portrait if you have ever watched Italian MasterChef and seen him pace through a station that has not been properly mise en place.

How this fits the broader MasterChef UK shake-up

The Celebrity MasterChef change is not happening in isolation. It is the visible tip of a larger reset across the MasterChef UK family of shows, all triggered by the Lewis Silkin findings and the loss of Wallace and Torode as on-screen anchors.

The mainline amateur series, which broadcast its existing pre-filmed run through 2025, was rebuilt for 2026 around a new judging line-up of Grace Dent and Irish chef Anna Haugh. That pairing debuted on BBC One during the 2026 mainline series and has anchored the relaunch of the regular weekday MasterChef strand. Celebrity MasterChef now adopts a parallel approach: Dent again as the critic''s voice, with Locatelli in the chef seat instead of Haugh.

MasterChef: The Professionals has also been confirmed to return, with the next series scheduled to air through the autumn-winter 2026 window. The BBC and Banijay have used the gap year to rebuild the cast around new faces while keeping the underlying format and production team in place. Shine TV, part of Banijay UK, remains the producer, and the move from London to Digbeth Loc Studios in Birmingham gives the relaunched run a fresh physical home as well as a fresh on-screen team.

Air date, format and what to expect from the new series

According to the BBC and to coverage from outlets including RTE, GB News, HuffPost UK and The Upcoming, the new Celebrity MasterChef series has already been shot. Locatelli confirmed in interviews that filming wrapped before the public announcement. The BBC has positioned the run as a summer 2026 broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with the exact premiere date still to be revealed at the time of writing on 4 June 2026.

The expected format follows the established Celebrity MasterChef template, with heats grouping celebrities into batches, signature challenges including the calling-card dish and professional kitchen tests, weeknight clustering on BBC One, and a grand final crowning a single celebrity champion. The celebrity line-up has not yet been confirmed by the BBC. Expect a contestant reveal in the weeks before launch.

Where to watch Celebrity MasterChef

In the UK, Celebrity MasterChef will broadcast on BBC One, with every episode also available on BBC iPlayer at the point of broadcast and for the catch-up window after. iPlayer is free to use with a valid TV licence and remains the simplest way to watch the new series on demand. Internationally, Past Celebrity MasterChef UK series have surfaced on streaming partners on a delayed basis, with selected episodes appearing on BritBox in some markets. Specific 2026 international carriage will be confirmed closer to launch.

Frequently asked questions

Who replaced Gregg Wallace on MasterChef

On the mainline amateur MasterChef, Wallace was succeeded by restaurant critic Grace Dent and Irish chef Anna Haugh, who debuted as the new judging pair on BBC One during the 2026 series. On Celebrity MasterChef, Dent partners with Italian Michelin-starred chef Giorgio Locatelli, who was confirmed on 3 June 2026.

Is John Torode still on MasterChef

No. The BBC and Banijay UK confirmed in July 2025 that Torode''s contract would not be renewed after the Lewis Silkin investigation upheld an allegation that he used a racist term in 2018. He had presented MasterChef since 2005. Torode has said he has no recollection of the incident and that he was shocked by the finding.

Who is Giorgio Locatelli

Giorgio Locatelli is a 63-year-old Italian chef best known in the UK for Locanda Locatelli, his Michelin-starred Italian restaurant in central London. He has been a judge on MasterChef Italia since 2018 and has appeared in many UK food programmes including Tony and Giorgio with Antonio Carluccio. He joins Celebrity MasterChef as the chef seat on the judging panel.

When does Celebrity MasterChef start

The new series has been filmed and the BBC has announced a summer 2026 broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. A specific premiere date had not been published at the time of this article on 4 June 2026.

Where can I watch Celebrity MasterChef

In the UK, it will air on BBC One with simultaneous catch-up and on-demand on BBC iPlayer, free with a valid TV licence. Internationally, look for it on local BBC distribution partners and on BritBox in selected territories.

Is the MasterChef format changing

No. The BBC and Banijay are positioning the run as a fresh line-up inside the existing Celebrity MasterChef format. Expect heats, signature dishes, professional kitchen tests, an invention round and a grand final, with weeknight clustering on BBC One in line with previous series.

What to watch next

• MasterChef UK 2026 (BBC One, BBC iPlayer): The relaunched amateur series with Grace Dent and Anna Haugh is the clearest first-look at how the new MasterChef era plays on camera.
• MasterChef: The Professionals (BBC One, BBC iPlayer): The chefs-only spin-off, returning later in 2026, is the more technical sibling of the celebrity format and a good companion watch.
• MasterChef Australia (Channel 10 in Australia, available via 10Play and on selected international streamers): The long-running Australian version is widely regarded as the strongest pure cooking competition in the franchise, with a calmer judging style than the UK editions.
• The Great British Bake Off (Channel 4, All 4 / Channel 4 streaming): If you want a different flavour of UK competition cooking, Bake Off remains the warmest format in the genre and a natural lane-change after a MasterChef binge.
• Great British Menu (BBC Two, BBC iPlayer): A chef-on-chef regional competition with serious culinary stakes, useful if Locatelli''s presence on Celebrity MasterChef makes you want to watch professionals cooking under pressure.

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