Grace Dent knows what success feels like, from her popular food critic columns to her role as a judge on MasterChef. But when it comes to ageing, she isn’t trying to do things the ‘right’ way. “I aim to grow old disgracefully,” Grace admitted, speaking on HELLO!’s Second Act podcast hosted by Ateh Jewel. “I’m in my 50s now, and I’m really influenced by these incredible women in their 70s who are competing in bodybuilding and running incredible businesses.
“In my industry, the food world, people treat people like Prue Leith and Mary Berry like they are old ladies. Those women are doing the most incredible filming schedules and working so much harder than some who are 20 turning up to set,” she added. Continuing to explain her approach to life in her 50s, Grace admitted: “You have to be careful, you have to eat well, exercise, exercise your brain. You are not going to have the luxury of stopping at 40. So use it or lose it.”
That said, this decade has got Grace feeling more liberated than ever before. “My 50s is so freeing because I don’t care that anybody can see that I am in my 50s, I’m not trying to hide it anymore.” She added: “Everything I am doing today is in preparation to be able to have a really good 80s and 90s. I want to be one of those women skipping onto a cruise ship at 90. In 2025, we live in a world of HRT, great hair dye, and amazing make-up. Anything you want to learn about longevity and still being fantastic in your seventies is at your disposal.”
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Grace’s new chapter
Grace’s judging role alongside John Torode on MasterChef has been a significant highlight of this exciting chapter of her life. “I can’t believe that I’m presenting Master Chef, because this isn’t just a TV gig. This is one of the most important shows in British television,” Grace confessed. “On primetime, on BBC One. That changes people’s lives. I’ve been involved with the show since 2013. I’ve always dreamed of presenting. I mean, it was it’s been incredible.
© BBC“People keep approaching me and clutching my arm and saying they’re so happy about it,” the star added, having replaced former judge Gregg Wallace on the hit cooking competition. “It’s a life-changing thing. You can be a little bit well known in London, but with the MasterChef audience, you’ve got no privacy ever again.”
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