Celebrity MasterChef returned to BBC One with one of the biggest transformations in its history as Giorgio Locatelli stepped into the kitchen alongside Grace Dent — but the new-look judging team quickly divided longtime viewers.

The 21st series of the celebrity cooking competition began on Tuesday night, introducing Michelin-starred Italian chef Locatelli as the latest member of the MasterChef family.

His arrival follows the departures of John Torode and Gregg Wallace, whose partnership had been synonymous with the franchise for two decades.

For some viewers, seeing two entirely different faces evaluating the celebrity cooks took some getting used to.

Social media filled with reactions as the premiere aired, with a number of fans admitting they missed the familiar dynamic of the former presenters.

Others welcomed the overhaul, praising Locatelli’s culinary knowledge and his easy rapport with Dent.

Either way, the opening episode made one thing obvious: Celebrity MasterChef has entered a very different era.

Giorgio Locatelli Steps Into the MasterChef Kitchen

Locatelli, 63, arrives with more than four decades of experience in professional kitchens.

Born in Lombardy, Italy, he began working around food at a young age before eventually moving to Britain.

His career took him through some of Europe’s leading kitchens, including London’s Savoy.

Locatelli later established himself as one of Britain’s best-known Italian chefs.

He earned his first Michelin star while working at Zafferano before opening Locanda Locatelli in London’s Marylebone with his wife, Plaxy.

The restaurant opened in 2002 and became a favorite among high-profile diners.

It received its own Michelin star in 2003 and retained the distinction for more than two decades before closing in early 2025.

Locatelli has since continued his restaurant career while remaining a familiar television personality.

He has appeared on numerous food programmes and has served as a judge on MasterChef Italia since 2018.

That experience makes him far from a newcomer to televised cooking competitions, even if British viewers are now seeing him in one of the BBC’s most famous culinary roles.

Grace Dent Returns With a New Partner

Alongside Locatelli is Grace Dent, the restaurant critic and broadcaster who has become increasingly central to the MasterChef franchise.

Dent is already familiar to regular viewers after making numerous appearances as a guest critic.

She previously stepped into a larger role on Celebrity MasterChef and has now become part of the programme’s new permanent identity.

Her pairing with Locatelli creates a noticeably different judging dynamic.

Dent approaches dishes from the perspective of a professional critic, while Locatelli brings decades of experience from restaurant kitchens.

The BBC is effectively combining two different forms of food expertise rather than attempting to reproduce the previous presenting partnership.

Dent has publicly welcomed Locatelli’s arrival, expressing enthusiasm about combining their knowledge and passion for food.

Some Fans Still Miss John and Gregg

Not everyone immediately embraced the change.

As the new series premiered, some viewers took to social media to say the programme felt strange without Torode and Wallace.

The reaction is perhaps unsurprising.

The pair had been associated with MasterChef since 2005, making their partnership one of the longest-running and most recognizable presenting combinations on British television.

For millions of viewers, their personalities became as familiar as the competition itself.

Their contrasting styles formed part of the show’s formula.

Replacing both ultimately means changing more than the people standing in front of the contestants.

It changes the rhythm of judging, the conversations surrounding each dish and the overall atmosphere of the programme.

That familiarity cannot necessarily be recreated in a single episode.

Other Viewers Welcome the Fresh Start

The reaction wasn’t universally nostalgic.

Other viewers responded positively to Locatelli, praising the chef’s warmth, expertise and enthusiasm.

For those fans, attempting to imitate the old format would have been the wrong decision.

Locatelli brings a different personality to the kitchen and already has substantial television experience of his own.

His credentials also give him immediate authority when discussing contestants’ food.

The contrasting reactions illustrate the challenge facing any long-running television programme after losing presenters who have been associated with it for years.

Keep too much the same and the replacements risk looking like imitations.

Change too much and audiences may feel the programme they loved has disappeared.

Celebrity MasterChef is attempting to find the middle ground.

Why John Torode Left MasterChef

Torode’s departure followed an independent investigation commissioned by production company Banijay UK.

During that process, an allegation that Torode had used an extremely offensive racist term in the workplace was upheld.

Torode subsequently said he had no recollection of the incident described in the allegation and was shocked by the finding.

He said the incident was alleged to have occurred during a social gathering several years earlier and maintained that racial language was entirely unacceptable.

Following the investigation, the BBC and Banijay confirmed that his contract would not be renewed.

The decision brought his approximately 20-year association with MasterChef to an end.

Gregg Wallace’s Departure Came Amid a Wider Investigation

Wallace had already stepped away from the programme in November 2024 after allegations were made about his conduct.

An independent investigation later considered dozens of complaints.

Of 83 allegations examined, 45 were substantiated, with many involving inappropriate sexual language and humor.

The BBC subsequently said it had no plans to work with Wallace in the future.

Wallace has disputed some of the reporting surrounding the allegations and previously said he had been cleared of the most serious accusations.

The controversy left MasterChef facing an unprecedented problem.

For roughly two decades, Wallace and Torode had effectively been the public faces of the franchise.

Within a relatively short period, both were gone.

The BBC Chose Reinvention Rather Than Cancellation

Despite the turmoil, the BBC has continued backing MasterChef.

Rather than ending one of its best-known food brands, the broadcaster has rebuilt its presenting teams.

The main amateur version is moving forward with Grace Dent and Irish chef Anna Haugh.

Celebrity MasterChef, meanwhile, has paired Dent with Locatelli.

The decision gives the two versions of the franchise some continuity while allowing each to develop a slightly different personality.

It also places significantly more emphasis on experienced food professionals.

Locatelli brings Michelin-starred restaurant credentials, while Haugh has spent decades working as a chef.

Dent provides the critical perspective familiar to longtime viewers.

Celebrity Contestants Face the New Judges

The format itself remains reassuringly familiar.

The 2026 series runs across five weeks, beginning with three weeks of heats.

Each qualifying group features five celebrities attempting to demonstrate that their cooking abilities extend beyond their day jobs.

Successful contestants progress to the semifinal stage before the remaining cooks compete for the title in the final week.

This year’s competition also brings in celebrity guest judges during the heats.

Among those appearing are Paddy McGuinness, Zoe Ball and social media personality Morgan Burtwistle, better known as Angry Ginge.

That means the personalities standing behind the judging bench may have changed, but contestants will still face the familiar pressure of producing restaurant-quality food under strict time limits.

Locatelli Brings Serious Restaurant Credentials

One advantage of the new lineup is that Locatelli can draw directly on decades spent operating at the highest levels of the restaurant industry.

His career began in Italy before taking him to Switzerland and Britain.

After establishing himself in London, he became particularly influential in changing perceptions of Italian fine dining in the UK.

Locanda Locatelli became his signature restaurant.

Its combination of sophisticated cooking and traditional Italian influences helped make Locatelli one of Britain’s most recognizable chefs.

The restaurant’s Michelin star remained in place for more than 20 years.

Following its closure, Locatelli and his wife continued their hospitality career with new ventures, including a restaurant at London’s National Gallery.

For Celebrity MasterChef contestants, that means criticism now comes from someone who has spent decades serving demanding customers in elite restaurants.

Can the New Partnership Win Over Longtime Fans?

The real test won’t be determined by one premiere.

Torode and Wallace developed their on-screen relationship across hundreds of episodes and many years.

Expecting Dent and Locatelli to immediately reproduce that level of familiarity would be unrealistic.

The more important question is whether they can develop a chemistry of their own.

Locatelli’s animated personality provides an interesting contrast with Dent’s distinctive critical style.

If that relationship develops naturally over the course of the series, viewers may gradually stop comparing the new team with its predecessors.

But nostalgia will remain powerful.

For longtime fans, Torode and Wallace were not simply presenters who happened to appear on the programme.

They were part of what MasterChef sounded and felt like.

A Crucial Series for the MasterChef Brand

The stakes surrounding the new season are therefore unusually high.

Celebrity MasterChef isn’t simply introducing another judge.

It is attempting to prove that one of Britain’s longest-running television franchises can survive the loss of the personalities who defined its modern era.

There are reasons for optimism.

The basic format remains recognizable, the new judges have substantial culinary credibility and MasterChef remains an established television brand.

But audiences ultimately decide whether a television reinvention works.

Some viewers already miss what came before.

Others appear ready to give the new partnership a chance.

For Giorgio Locatelli and Grace Dent, the challenge now is not to become the next John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

It is to make Celebrity MasterChef feel like their own show.