Next MasterChef Presenter Odds: Nigella Lawson & Gordon Ramsay among Favourites

Gregg Wallace’s time as the co-presenter of MasterChef looks all but certainly over following a plethora of allegations against the TV presenter in recent days. 

As one of the BBC’s biggest products though, we all know the show will go on, so now we start to look forward to who might be John Tarode’s future TV partner on MasterChef and one very famous name deserves some consideration at 8/1 but it is a 4/1 shot who provides the betting value...

*For our full Next MasterChef Presenter Betting Odds market, head over to betfred.com via the link.

Our colleagues over in the Betfred traders team have compiled a list of the top names who might be on course to take the coveted position on the show.

It should come as no surprise that James Martin is considered the 5/2 favourite. As a long-time TV chef who first appeared on our scenes all the way back in 1996, the Yorkshireman is about as safe a pair of hands as the BBC could look to get. He's been part of the fabric of weekend morning TV for nigh on two decades but with allegations of bullying though back in 2018, it feels unlikely that the corporation would want to deal with anyone who has even the slightest bit of baggage.

Could the Beeb look closer to home for Torode’s partner? As in, on the other side of his marital bed? His partner Lisa Faulkner is the 3/1 second favourite with us at Betfred. The 52-year-old actress and winner of Celebrity MasterChef in 2010 has hosted ‘John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen' on ITV with her husband for the past couple of years and there are plenty of logical reasons to think that she could easily slide into the role in a relatively seamless fashion. I can see why our team think she's got a great chance.

If you want my immediate thoughts though, we have to go to one of the most famous names in our betting market. There is no doubt that Nigella Lawson would be a high-profile name who the viewers would warm to immediately. She’s extremely well-known and has a comforting, affable style that would on paper work well with the more straight-laced Tarode. She has worked on the BBC before and is currently part of the judging panel for the Australian show, My Kitchen Rules. I like her odds at 4/1 a lot and she ticks a lot of boxes. Well known? Check. Popular with viewers? Check. Plenty of TV presenting experience? Check.

Grace Dent is next on the list at 5/1 and we’ve seen the restaurant critic appear on the show many times over the past few years. Therefore, she would be a known commodity and we’ve seen food critics do very well on these type of shows alongside chefs, with Matt Preston being the obvious example, becoming a fan favourite on MasterChef Australia and lately alongside Nigella Lawson (and others) on My Kitchen Rules. She is certainly not one to ignore and would be a good option. Gino D’Acampo is the same price but I struggle to see the Italian meshing well with John Tarode and that has to be one of the key things producers will be looking for.

We have three names at 8/1 including both of Gregg Wallace’s TV partners on MasterChef: The Professionals. I’m not sure I see either Marcus Wareing nor Monica Galetti making the step-up to the top show. This is because I think if a chef is going to be alongside Tarode, it needs to be someone who is a big-enough name to attract an audience and I just don’t see either as someone who fits that bill.

One man though who would is Gordon Ramsay. We all know him and his work on Hell’s Kitchen but his softer side has certainly come out in his run as the lead judge on MasterChef USA. The Scottish chef has been part of the franchise for many years and has appeared multiple times on the Australian version of the show. Whether Tarode would want him to be his next TV partner or even if Ramsay had the time in his very busy schedule are two very valid questions but you know his name will be brought up.

When all is said and done though, Nigella Lawson makes the most sense and I’d be stunned if she’s not the first-choice and it’ll be hers to turn down.