Tebbutt to replace Wallace on professional MasterChef

TV host and chef Matt Tebbutt will replace Gregg Wallace as a judge on the next series of MasterChef: The Professionals following the presenter’s exit from the programme.

- LYDIA SPENCER-ELLIOTT

Tebbutt, 51, who is best known for hosting BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen, will join existing judges Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti on the panel for the 18th series of the cooking competition programme.

They will be joined by a range of guest judges, who will appear in the first stage of the competition.

Speaking ahead of the upcoming series, Tebbutt said it was “an absolute honour” to be working alongside Wareing and Galetti, who he described as “titans of the food world”.

He said: “Their knowledge and uncompromising attitude is now the stuff of legend, and I look forward to them taking me under their wing and seeing the chefs get off to a flying start in the competition.”