MasterChef 2026 preview: Grace Dent and Anna Haugh begin new era
The new series of MasterChef begins today, with Grace Dent and Anna Haugh stepping in as the show’s new judging duo for the BBC’s 22nd amateur series.
For hospitality professionals, the amateur version of MasterChef does not usually carry the same chef-to-chef pull as MasterChef: The Professionals. But with the brand entering a new chapter, and with two respected food voices now fronting the programme, this year’s launch feels more significant than a routine return.
It is also the first full amateur series to begin after the departures of long-time presenters John Torode and Gregg Wallace, following last year’s turbulence around the programme.
A fresh judging dynamic for MasterChef
The BBC and producers moved quickly last year to reset the judging line-up, appointing Grace Dent and Anna Haugh for the new amateur series. Both arrived with existing MasterChef credibility rather than as outsiders drafted in for a refresh.
Grace was already a familiar figure to viewers through her appearances as a critic across the MasterChef franchise. Beyond that, she has long been one of the UK’s best-known restaurant critics and a prominent food journalist and broadcaster, with The Guardian central to her profile in the restaurant world.
Anna, meanwhile, brought direct chef authority. The Dublin-born chef is chef patron of Myrtle in Chelsea, has built a strong television presence, and previously stepped in on MasterChef: The Professionals. Her background includes time working with Phil Howard, Shane Osborn and Gordon Ramsay, giving the new panel a sharper restaurant and kitchen edge than the amateur show has sometimes carried.
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What the format still offers
At its core, the structure remains familiar. The series opens with heats featuring amateur cooks battling for aprons and quarter-final places, before narrowing through quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final. Public episode details for this week indicate the usual blend of signature-dish cooking, pressure, invention and guest tasting.
That tried-and-tested format has always been the strength of amateur MasterChef. While it does not produce restaurant-ready chefs overnight, it has repeatedly given home cooks a platform to turn food obsession into books, restaurants, media work and serious culinary careers.
Former winners who show the show’s reach
If this new series needs a reminder of what MasterChef can still launch, its back catalogue offers plenty.
Thomasina Miers remains one of the biggest success stories. Since winning in 2005, she has gone on to co-found Wahaca and build a high-profile career as a writer, broadcaster and restaurateur.
Dr Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed, winner in 2017, showed that the title can open doors well beyond a conventional kitchen route. She combined her medical career with food writing and broadcasting, going on to become a bestselling author with a clear specialist voice around nutrition and gut health.
Irini Tzortzoglou, the 2019 champion, has carved out a strong post-show identity through cookery writing, teaching and Greek food experiences, proving again that amateur winners do not need to follow a single commercial route to stay relevant.
The winner of 2020, Thomas Frake, now runs a village pub called The Silks, in Wiltshire.
- Read more: MasterChef champions - where are they now?
Natural intrigue
For professional chefs, the amateur show will never quite mirror the technical appeal of MasterChef: The Professionals. But this year’s series has a stronger hook than usual.
There is natural intrigue around how Grace and Anna will shape the tone of the programme, a mix of the critic’s eye and chef credibility and knowledge.
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