MasterChef 2026 has a fresh new look — and one of its biggest talking points is new judge Grace Dent. She has previously opened up about her deeply personal struggles with food and weight.
Now co-hosting the show alongside Anna Haugh, Grace brings years of experience to the role. But her journey to this point hasn’t always been straightforward.
Over the years, she’s spoken candidly about her complex relationship with food, something she explored in detail in her 2021 book Hungry.
Here’s a closer look at her story.
Who is Grace Dent and how old is she?
Born in 1973, Grace Dent is 52 years old and grew up in Carlisle, Cumbria. She attended Bishop Goodwin Primary School before going on to study English Literature at the University of Stirling.
She’s now one of the UK’s most recognisable food critics, regularly appearing across television — though viewers may also remember her exit from I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2023 for medical reasons.
What has Grace Dent said about her relationship with food?
Grace has been open about how her struggles with food began early, tracing them back to when she was just nine years old.
Writing in Hungry, she described restrictive eating habits that left a lasting impact: “The dry Ryvitas stuck in my throat and then I couldn’t sleep at night as my stomach growled, while I dreamt of morning, when I could have three tablespoons of Special K with skimmed milk.”
By her teenage years, calorie counting had become part of everyday life for her and her friends.
She wrote: “At this age, me and most of my female friends became masters of calorie counting. Our minds hoovered up and stored for life every approximate kcal per hundred-gram portion.”
800-calorie-a-day diet to lose weight
As her career developed, those pressures intensified. Grace has spoken about following an 800-calorie-a-day diet at one point.
She explained: “Yes, I knew 800 calories was too low and might make me feel faint. But [bleep], by Saturday I could wear a catsuit… and I would look [bleep]ing incredible again for a bit.”
Grace took on the Atkins diet to become ‘TV ready’
She later turned to the Atkins diet in a bid to appear “camera ready”, aiming to stay well below her body’s natural weight.
Describing the regime, she said: “One solitary boiled egg for breakfast. Then, black coffee for lunch and dinner, with occasional pieces of grilled chicken.
“It had indeed given me a size-ten body and cheekbones like razors. But I also had breath like Satan’s bumcleft and the occasional minor blackout.”
Is Grace Dent vegan?
Since 2010, Grace has shifted her approach. While she now leans towards a largely vegan diet, she has made it clear she doesn’t label herself strictly.
Speaking to The Guardian, she said: “The vegans aren’t happy with me because I’m not fully vegan. And the meat eaters say I’m trying to destroy the farming industry.”
She added that she has never fitted the stereotype of a traditional food critic, noting she doesn’t enjoy certain rich foods often associated with the role.
Her views on weight-loss jabs and fitness
Grace has also spoken about the impact of alcohol on her life and career. On the Glad We Had This Chat podcast, she revealed she is now three years sober, after deciding she could no longer “outrun” her diet.
She explained: “Being a restaurant critic means your body doesn’t belong to you… there is always thousands and thousands of calories coming.”
After giving up alcohol, she noticed a significant change, saying the weight “started to drop right off”.
Reflecting on her earlier habits, she admitted she had been drinking in a “very British way” since her teens, before deciding to stop completely.
Grace has also made her stance clear on weight-loss injections, saying she would never use them herself.
She told The Times: “I will never take one. I wouldn’t be able to do my job… but I can understand why people are taking them.”
These days, she focuses on maintaining her health through exercise, working with a trainer, lifting weights and walking around 15,000 steps a day.
She has even joked about buying a treadmill for her dressing room — though she hasn’t quite put it to use yet.
Read more: MasterChef 2026 judge Grace Dent’s brutal verdict on Gregg Wallace sacking scandal
What do you think of Grace Dent on MasterChef? Let us know by leaving a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.