{"id":624389,"date":"2026-06-06T12:32:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T12:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/624389\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T12:32:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T12:32:12","slug":"masterchef-finalist-breaks-silence-on-new-judges-as-viewers-left-split-tv-radio-showbiz-tv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/624389\/","title":{"rendered":"MasterChef finalist breaks silence on new judges as viewers left split | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV"},"content":{"rendered":"

After weeks of intense culinary tests and challenges, the moment has nearly arrived to discover which finalist will claim the coveted MasterChef<\/a> 2026 trophy.<\/p>\n

While Grace joined the beloved series last year, stepping in for Gregg Wallace, this year represented her debut co-hosting alongside Anna following her takeover from John Torode.<\/p>\n

Since the pair made their screen debut together in April, viewers have found themselves split over the shake-up. While some have applauded their chemistry, others have been less enthusiastic, demanding their replacement.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, one of this year’s finalists has opened up about Anna and Grace fronting the programme while discussing what they hope audiences will take from this series, reports Wales Online.<\/p>\n

Kristen remarked: “I love the energy Grace and Anna have brought to the MasterChef universe. I hope viewers sense this evolution.<\/p>\n

“Personally, I hope my journey will inspire others to step out of their comfort zones – whether that’s applying for a job they might not feel 100% qualified for, leaving one, or trying a new hobby. In the kitchen, I’d love for someone to feel encouraged to experiment with pickling, curing, smoking or fermenting.”<\/p>\n

Before joining the series, Anna was delighted to become a permanent fixture on the long-running programme, having previously appeared as a guest judge over the years.<\/p>\n

She commented: “I’m delighted to be back on MasterChef and judging alongside the wonderful Grace Dent, whose writing and wit I’ve admired for years.<\/p>\n

“MasterChef has long inspired and resonated with cooks in home kitchens and, of course, in my industry. I can’t wait to get into the studio for what will be a great competition.”<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Grace Dent added: “I’m over the moon to be coming back to the MasterChef kitchen and unearthing what culinary skills people have been cooking up behind closed doors.<\/p>\n

“It’s a joy to be working with Anna, who brings all her incredible experience to the table. I am in for such a treat with this series, I can’t wait to get started.”<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, another well-known face was confirmed to be joining the programme, as Giorgio Locatelli was revealed to be taking part in the celebrity edition alongside Grace Dent.<\/p>\n

The final of MasterChef is available to watch on BBC<\/a> One on Friday June 5 at 8pm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After weeks of intense culinary tests and challenges, the moment has nearly arrived to discover which finalist will…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":624390,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[211842,211846,211845,96,59,109832,211844,647,211841,211843,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-624389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-bbc-masterchef-anna-haugh","tag-bbc-masterchef-finalists","tag-bbc-masterchef-judges","tag-entertainment","tag-gb","tag-grace-dent","tag-grace-dent-bbc-masterchef","tag-masterchef","tag-masterchef-bbc","tag-masterchef-grace-dent","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=624389"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624389\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/624390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=624389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=624389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=624389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}