Rosemary Shrager Expresses Desire for MasterChef Presenting Role Alongside Grace Dent
No-nonsense British chef Rosemary Shrager has exclusively revealed her ambition to join the BBC's flagship cooking programme MasterChef as a full-time presenter. The 74-year-old culinary personality, known for her straightforward approach, has expressed particular interest in partnering with the show's new host, renowned critic Grace Dent.
Following High-Profile Departures
Shrager's comments come in the wake of significant changes to the MasterChef presenting lineup, following the departure of long-standing hosts John Torode and Gregg Wallace. The corporation made the decision to part ways with both presenters after a series of allegations emerged concerning their conduct.
"I'd love to present MasterChef, it would be amazing," Shrager told the Mirror. "I've done MasterChef, the English version, as a guest judge, but it would be absolutely fabulous to join as a full-time star." Regarding the potential partnership with Dent, she added enthusiastically: "That would be fun, wouldn't it?"
Television Career Reflections
The London-born chef has built an extensive television career spanning several decades, appearing on numerous popular programmes. Fans have watched her on shows including I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and the transformative series Ladette to Lady, though she admits the latter required careful consideration before accepting.
"I had a real dilemma with Ladette to Lady," Shrager recalled. "I first of all had to think about doing it very carefully. I didn't say yes straight away, believe me. I'd been doing television for a long time before that."
She described the programme as a personally humbling experience that taught her greater tolerance for younger generations facing peer pressure. "For me, from a personal, humbling point of view, I got a tremendous amount out of Ladette to Lady," she reflected. "I enjoyed the show; there was a lot of laughter, and they were great fun. I felt really honoured to know some of these young people."
Health Journey and New Digital Cookbook
In recent years, Shrager has been remarkably open about her significant weight loss journey, having shed over three stone. While she acknowledges using weight loss injections initially, she emphasises that maintaining her results has been achieved through consistent exercise and healthy eating habits.
"When you come off, which I've done, you just eat healthily," she explained. "Jabs are for one thing, jabs for me were a sideline to get me going. Now I know how to eat healthily, but also it's the quantity as well, which you just sort of feel fuller quicker."
Shrager has now channeled this experience into a new collaboration with health platform Numan, launching a digital cookbook designed to help people manage food cravings and what she describes as "food noise." The project features recipes including homemade baked beans and beetroot brownies, all developed with nutritional balance in mind.
"It's come at the right moment, I feel I'm 40 years trained for it," she said of the cookbook initiative. "It's absolutely brilliant, I do it for myself because it's important. It was a natural acceptance – everybody has cravings, they are not a moral failing, I think they're natural."
Continued Professional Drive
Despite her decades in the industry, Shrager shows no signs of slowing down, describing herself as "still working my little butt off." She expresses gratitude for the diverse opportunities her career has provided, from international television projects to her current health-focused culinary work.
"I feel I've been the luckiest person ever because I've had the opportunity to do things," she stated. "I feel very fortunate and I'm still working. What I think has been so lovely, I've done things I probably would never have had the opportunity, had I not done my work and not delivered."
As MasterChef continues its new chapter without Torode and Wallace, Shrager's expressed interest in joining Grace Dent as a presenter adds an intriguing possibility for the programme's future direction. Her combination of culinary expertise, television experience, and recent health advocacy could offer viewers a fresh perspective on competitive cooking television.
