MasterChef's New Judge Anna Haugh Admits She Was Unprepared for Role
BBC MasterChef judge Anna Haugh has candidly opened up about her new role, admitting that "nothing prepared me" for the experience. The hit cooking show is set to return to television screens for a brand new series in just a few days, but this season brings a significant change for viewers.
New Hosting Duo Takes Over from Axed Judges
Anna Haugh and Grace Dent have taken on the hosting duties, replacing the axed judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode. Anna, who previously served as a regular guest and judge for the 2022 professionals series, stepped in for Wallace during the final episodes of the most recent season. Meanwhile, Grace Dent joined John Torode on the latest series of Celebrity MasterChef, which aired late last year.
Ahead of the new series, the new presenting duo appeared on Monday's episode of BBC The One Show, offering viewers a sneak peek of what to expect. Speaking to hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp, Anna shared her thoughts on the new hosting gig.
Anna Haugh's Honest Admission
"Honestly, nothing prepared me for how I was gonna feel on this show," Anna confessed. She elaborated, "You know, being a professional chef, I thought these will be amateurs, they will cook and it'll be, you know, good but my goodness, some of them cook as if they're professional chefs."
She continued, "But what you really see in the show is that this means something to them - this matters. This could be life changing and as long as they keep pushing themselves, they'll fulfil their potential." The TV chef added, "There was a real responsibility from Grace and I, where we agreed that we were like, We got to look for the best in them. We want to find a champion. My goodness there could have been 10 champions in there. It's a brilliant, brilliant bunch of people."
Dynamic Between Anna and Grace
Alex Jones was keen to explore the dynamic between the duo as they embark on their new presenting role. She asked, "You’ve both been part of the MasterChef family for some time and between you, you have judged the pros and all sorts. But now you’re together to judge the amateur in the big one. Who is a good cop, who is a bad cop - is there that dynamic at all?"
Grace Dent admitted, "I wish it was as simple as that because then we could just agree at the beginning of the show. I would say, the camera is on us for such a long time, for such long days. I think you see every side of us. You see good cop, bad cop, sad cop, hungry cop, tired cop. It is reality TV in a sense, because they're filming us so much that you can't play a part. You get the real contestants, and you get the real us. We have no idea how we're edited. This is us."
Anna jumped in, "And we don't always agree, that’s just the way it is." Grace added, "We really don't."
Show Details and Broadcast Information
MasterChef is scheduled to return on 21 April at 9pm on BBC One. The One Show airs weekdays from 7pm on BBC and iPlayer. This new series promises to deliver fresh perspectives and intense culinary competitions under the guidance of Anna Haugh and Grace Dent.
