Guardian restaurant critic will be judge on show after Wallace stepped away from role amid claims of misconduct

As the Guardian’s restaurant critic she has spent an “excessive amount of time in posh restaurants, eating fancy, ornate tasting menus”, but Grace Dent’s new challenge will see her tasting the delights of minor stars in front of rolling cameras as the new judge of Celebrity MasterChef.

Dent, who also hosts the Guardian’s Comfort Eating podcast, will replace Gregg Wallace alongside John Torode, the BBC confirmed on Wednesday. Wallace stepped down from the series at the end of November while its production company, Banijay UK, investigates claims of misconduct, which he denies.