Matt Tebbutt has reportedly departed from his role as a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals after only one series, according to recent reports. Tebbutt joined the BBC cookery competition in February 2026 as a replacement for Gregg Wallace, who was fired from the franchise over historic misconduct allegations.
Replacement for Gregg Wallace
Tebbutt, a 52-year-old chef-turned-food-presenter known for his work on Saturday Kitchen, stepped in to judge alongside Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti. He had previously trained under renowned chefs Marco Pierre White and Alastair Little and ran his own pub before transitioning to television. However, The Sun has now revealed that Tebbutt will not be returning in a full-time capacity for the next series.
Behind the Scenes Decisions
An insider told the publication that producers at Banijay plan to bring Tebbutt back sporadically as a guest judge in future episodes. "There might be a few eyebrows raised that Matt isn't staying on given he has just joined. He didn't do anything wrong and will definitely come back to the series as a guest in the future," the source stated.
The insider added, "But bosses simply realised that they could get away with just having Marcus and Monica at the helm, especially as their chemistry is great and they have a tight relationship. Three was a bit of a crowd."
BBC Response and Speculation
A BBC spokesperson addressed the speculation, telling The Independent, "No decisions have been made yet about the presenting line up for the future series of MasterChef. We won't comment on speculation." The Independent has also reached out to Tebbutt's representatives for comment, but no official statement has been released at this time.
Gregg Wallace's Departure and Aftermath
Wallace first stepped away from MasterChef in late 2024 after the BBC received numerous complaints about his conduct. He was replaced by restaurant critic Grace Dent on the celebrity edition of the show and was also dropped as an ambassador for the charity Ambitious about Autism.
A total of 83 allegations were made against Wallace, with 45 being upheld in a July 2025 report. These included one instance of unwelcome physical contact and several claims of inappropriate sexual language and humour.
In October 2025, Wallace sued the BBC and its subsidiary BBC Studios Distribution Limited over his firing, initially claiming that the broadcaster had failed to comply with a request for copies of his personal data and caused him "distress and harassment." He was originally seeking £10,000 in damages.
However, ahead of a hearing last month, Wallace discontinued his damages claim. A BBC spokesperson confirmed that he was not receiving "any payment in costs or damages from either BBC or BBC Studios."
The long-running MasterChef franchise has faced significant scrutiny in recent years due to these controversies, with Tebbutt's brief tenure highlighting ongoing changes in the show's judging panel dynamics.
