Latest news with #AnnaHaugh
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Irish celebrity chef to replace Gregg Wallace on MasterChef in major shake-up after host's misconduct probe sacking
AN IRISH celebrity chef is set to cause a stir in the MasterChef kitchen — by replacing sacked presenter Gregg Wallace as the winner of the competition is crowned. Tallaght native Anna Haugh will join the MasterChef team for the final episodes of this season, bringing some serious Irish flavour to the iconic series. 4 Gregg Wallace was sacked by the BBC after allegations of inappropriate behaviour emerged 4 Tallaght native Anna Haugh will join the MasterChef show Credit: Bryan Meade - The Sunday Times 4 The Irish chef is set to replace Wallace in the final episodes of the series Its understood that the Irish cooking sensation will replace Wallace who was sacked from the BBC after allegations of inappropriate behaviour emerged against him during filming last November. Now, Dublin chef Anna Haugh is stepping up to the plate to replace Gregg for the final few episodes of the series. Last month, the BBC confirmed the new series of MasterChef would be broadcast in August, adding that it had "not been an easy decision in the circumstances". The BBC added: "Broadcasting this series is the right thing to do for these cooks who have given so much to the process". "We want them to be properly recognised and give the audience the choice to watch the series." The final series of MasterChef which features former presenters Gregg Wallace and John Torode began on BBC One on Wednesday. However, Haugh is expected to finish out the last couple of episodes in the season, taking over from Wallace. Haugh has appeared on several BBC cooking shows, including her very own Big Irish Food Tour - in which she took a culinary tour of Ireland. The London-based foodie runs two swanky spots in the UK capital —Myrtlerestaurant and The Wee Sister wine bar. BBC botches bid to edit out sacked duo Gregg Wallace & John Torode from new Masterchef amid calls to axe scandal-hit show Anna lives in south London with her partner Richard Elwell, who co-owns Myrtle Sister, along with her son Oisin, and stepson Henry. But it wasn't always high-end dining and BBC studios for Anna. She was once offered a place to study graphic design at what's now TU Dublin, but turned it down to pursue her real passion—food. She trained in professional cookery at Cathal Brugha Street and cut her teeth at the Salthill Hotel in Galway before working her way through Michelin-starred kitchens across Dublin, London, Paris and the US. EARLY INSPIRATION One of her earliest gigs was under legendary Irish chef Derry Clarke at the Michelin-starred L'Ecrivain in Dublin's city centre. Speaking on The Anton Savage Show in May, Haugh said: "It was my second-year apprenticeship, so I was really keen to kind of learn the craft, and L'Ecrivain was a great place to teach you that." She also worked for Gordon Ramsay for 10 years, both in the UK and the US. In an Instagram post last year, she said: "I've always worked for talented, fiercely passionate chefs, but working for Gordon gave me the experience and strength to open up Myrtle Restaurant." 'DEMANDING JOB' 'I saw how supportive he was to everyone, including the often-forgotten kitchen porters. It was a demanding job and I loved it completely.' Myrtle and The Wee Sister, which sit side by side in London, showcase the best of Irish produce—with dishes such as boxty, Carlingford oysters and Clonakilty black pudding all on the menu. Back in July, Wallace, 60, was formally sacked by the BBC after an investigation into his behaviour. MasterChef presenter John Torode was also let go from the show. The BBC fired both hosts on the back of a report which revealed more than 40 historic complaints against Gregg had been upheld, along with a claim that John once used a racist term.
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Dubliner Anna Haugh set for new series of MasterChef
Dublin chef Anna Haugh will star in the final episodes of the new series of BBC One's MasterChef, reportedly replacing former presenter Gregg Wallace as the winner of the competition is crowned. Haugh, the star of BBC Two's Anna Haugh's Big Irish Food Tour, is no stranger to MasterChef, as she has previously appeared on Celebrity MasterChef and as a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals. She owns Myrtle, a restaurant in Chelsea, London that serves European food with an Irish touch. Haugh has also been a guest judge on Gordon Ramsay's US show Hell's Kitchen, and her other TV credits BBC's Ready Steady Cook and Saturday Kitchen. In 2024, she published Cooking with Anna. The final series of MasterChef to feature former presenters Gregg Wallace and John Torode began on BBC One on Wednesday. In November 2024, it was announced that Wallace would step away from his role on the BBC cooking show while historical allegations of misconduct were investigated, and last month a statement from MasterChef makers Banijay UK and the BBC said they had agreed "Mr Wallace's return to MasterChef is untenable". In the wake of the Lewis Silkin review that saw 45 out of 83 allegations made against him upheld, Wallace issued an apology in which he said he was "deeply sorry for any distress caused" and that he "never set out to harm or humiliate". Torode was the subject of an allegation about using racist language that was upheld as part of the Lewis Silkin review, but the TV star said he had "no recollection of the incident" and was "shocked and saddened" by the allegation. Last month, the BBC confirmed the new series of MasterChef, which was filmed last year before allegations against Wallace and Torode were upheld, would be broadcast in August, adding that it had "not been an easy decision in the circumstances". The BBC added that "broadcasting this series is the right thing to do for these cooks who have given so much to the process". "We want them to be properly recognised and give the audience the choice to watch the series," it said. One of this year's contestants asked to be edited out of the series.
Extra.ie
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Who is Anna Haugh? Dublin native to replace Greg Wallace on Masterchef
Irish chef Anna Haugh is set to replace Greg Wallace on MasterChef, following his axing. Both Greg and John Torode were booted off the cooking competition following allegations of misconduct being upheld against them, with the BBC confirming that they'd be airing season 21 of the show, which has the disgraced hosts on the air. While the final episodes haven't been filmed, and with Wallace having resigned back in November when the episodes were filmed, Irish chef Anna Haugh has been drafted in to host and judge the final few episodes, which will air later this year. Anna Haugh will replace Gregg Wallace during the final episodes of MasterChef. Pic:Born in Dublin, Anna is the owner of the Myrtle Restaurant in London, which offers modern Irish cuisine. She has the credentials to back up her chef prowess, having trained alongside Derry Clarke in the Michelin-starred L'Ecrivan Restaurant, and also cooked with Gordon Ramsay. She has also appeared on Masterchef: The Professionals in 2022, so she knows what it's like to go through the rigmarole of the intense competition — but admitted that she had gone through a bout of impostor syndrome prior to the show. Hailing from Dublin, Anna was a previous Masterchef participant and has trained with chefs such as Gordon Ramsay. Pic: Conal Hughes/BBC 'I'm like, 'I'm here, this is about to start. How in God's name did I trick these people into thinking I was able for this?'' she told the Irish Mail on Sunday. 'But then I would stop and think, 'Well, I trained really hard to understand my profession, I love food, and I love training people.' 'So it was, 'Fight those nerves Anna and get on with it.' 'It's a magic feeling to know that I had those nerves, and then I just threw myself into it and got on with the graft.' A number of names have since been floating around as potential permanent replacements for Wallace and Torode, including author and food critic Grace Dent, and Tom Kerridge and Andi Oliver. John Torode and Gregg Wallace were both kicked off the show following allegations of professional misconduct. Pic: PA Wallace stepped away from Masterchef following historical allegations of professional misconduct, with a report by Lewis Silkins LLP upholding 45 of the 83 complaints made against him over 19 years. In a statement following the publication of the Silkins report, Wallace fired back at his former employers, saying: 'I have taken the decision to speak out ahead of the publication of the Silkins report – a decision I do not take lightly. But after 21 years of loyal service to the BBC, I cannot sit in silence while my reputation is further damaged to protect others. 'I have now been cleared by the Silkins report of the most serious and sensational accusations made against me,' adding that the 'most serious and sensational allegations' were dismissed prior to the publication of the report. The BBC have said, however, that they have no plans to work with Wallace in the future. His co-host John Torode was also sacked from Masterchef following allegations that he made a racist remark a number of years ago, with him saying in a statement that took aim at the beeb that his upcoming Masterchef special, filmed earlier this year, will be his last.
Sunday World
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Dublin woman Anna Haugh to replace Gregg Wallace on MasterChef
Restaurateur Anna Haugh is the current host of Anna Haugh's Big Irish Food Tour on the BBC Celebrity chef and restaurateur Anna Haugh from Tallaght, Dublin, is set to replace Gregg Wallace in the final episodes of this year's MasterChef series. Wallace (60) stepped away from the show following allegations of misconduct, which first came to light last November. Haugh, who first moved to London 20 years ago, is the owner of the Myrtle Sister restaurant and The Wee Sister wine bar in London. The chef lives in the capital with her partner Richard Elwell, who co-owns the Mrytle Sister, along with her stepson Henry and son Oisín. Originally offered a place in what was the Dublin Institute of Technology, which is now Technological University Dublin, to study graphic design, she declined and attended the institute's Cathal Brugha Street campus to study professional cookery. From there, she gained experience in the Salthill Hotel in Galway before she began training under chefs in Michelin-starred kitchens in Dublin, London, Paris and the US. Her first foray into a top kitchen was when she worked for Irish celebrity chef Derry Clarke in his award-winning Michelin-star restaurant L'Ecrivain on Baggot Street in Dublin. Anna Haugh Speaking on The Anton Savage Show in May, Ms Haugh said: 'It was my second-year apprenticeship, so I was really keen to kind of learn the craft, and L'Ecrivain was a great place to teach you that.' She also worked for Gordon Ramsay for 10 years, both in the UK and the US. In an Instagram post last year, she said: 'I've always worked for talented, fiercely passionate chefs, but working for Gordon gave me the experience and strength to open up Myrtle Restaurant. 'I saw how supportive he was to everyone, including the often-forgotten kitchen porters. It was a demanding job and I loved it completely.' Haugh's restaurant and wine bar, which are beside each other, focus on food produced in Ireland and wines made across the world by Irish people. Anna Haugh. Photo: Nina Val. Former Repair Shop presenter Jay Blades charged with rape The restaurant, which she opened in 2019, serves dishes like boxty, Irish potato pancakes, Carlingford oysters and Clonakilty black pudding. It is described as offering 'modern European cooking with an Irish influence'. However, Haugh told Savage on his show earlier in the summer that the Irish cuisine was what was most in demand. 'Very quickly I realised that what people wanted was more of the Irishness, the culture, the food, the produce, the stories,' she said. Currently, Ms Haugh is the host of Anna Haugh's Big Irish Food Tour on the BBC, touring 15 counties with celebrities exploring Irish culture and cuisine. From making black pudding with Una Healy in Tipperary to catching trout with singer Shayne Ward in Louth, the chef traversed the country, experiencing Irish food. It won't be the first time Ms Haugh will appear on the amateur cooking competition, but it will be her first stint as a presenter. In 2022, she joined Wallace and Marcus Wareing as a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals. She has also appeared as a guest judge on Gordon Ramsay's US show Hell's Kitchen and as a chef on the BBC's Ready Steady Cook. She also makes appearances on daytime shows, including Saturday Kitchen, hosted by Matt Tebbutt. *This article was amended at 7.37pm, on August 7, 2025, to correct the spellings of Gregg Wallace, Gordon Ramsay and Shayne Ward
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Irish chef Anna Haugh to replace MasterChef host Gregg Wallace
Irish chef Anna Haugh is to replace MasterChef host Gregg Wallace in the final episodes of the popular cooking show after allegations of misconduct saw him fired . Originally from Tallaght, Co Dublin, Ms Haugh trained as a chef at Technological University Dublin's culinary arts school before going on to work with the likes of Philip Howard, Shane Osborne and Gordon Ramsay. She has been cooking professionally for almost 20 years, having spent more than a decade in London. Ms Haugh, who owns Myrtle Restaurant in Chelsea, London, and the nearby Wee Sister Wine Bar, has appeared on several BBC cooking shows to date, including as a guest judge on MasterChef and as a judge on its professionals spin-off. READ MORE Earlier this year, she fronted her own BBC food series, Anna Haugh's Big Irish Food Tour, in which she took a culinary tour of Ireland. A MasterChef spokesperson confirmed that Ms Haugh steps in for the final week of this year's competition. Her replacement of Mr Wallace comes as the 60-year-old stepped away from hosting after several historical complaints came to light during filming of the competition now airing. BBC News reported last month that Mr Wallace had been dismissed as MasterChef presenter following an inquiry into his alleged misconduct by production company Banijay. A report revealed that 83 complaints had been made against him, with more than 40 upheld, including one of unwelcome physical contact and another three of being in a state of undress. Mr Wallace insisted he was cleared of 'the most serious and sensational allegations'. Despite the controversy, the BBC said airing the show was 'the right thing to do' for contestants taking part.
