Giorgio Locatelli: Meet The New Celebrity MasterChef Judge

With new judges Grace Dent and Anna Haugh at the helm, the revamped MasterChef – which is approaching its grand finale – has proven a big hit. And now, we have news about the celebrity offshoot. Esteemed chef and restaurateur Giorgio Locatelli has been announced as the new judge, replacing John Torode who was sacked from the show last year following allegations of misconduct. 

Locatelli, 63, said it’s a ‘real honour’ to be joining the show, adding: ‘I can’t wait for you to see what our celebrity contestants bring to the kitchen, as we are really putting their culinary skills to the test in this series.’ He’ll join Dent to judge the celebrities’ culinary skills – with Dent describing herself as a ‘long-time admirer’ of Locatelli’s work. ‘I couldn’t be happier to combine our shared joy, passion, and expertise for food,’ she added. ‘I also love an opportunity to serve up a heavy dose of glamour in the MasterChef kitchen, and I have a feeling Giorgio is going to give me a real run for my money.’

So what’s Locatelli’s backstory – and what will he bring to the show?

Who Is Giorgio Locatelli?

Born in 1963 in Coregno in northern Italy, Locatelli was immersed in the world of food from an early age as his uncle ran the Michelin-starred La Cinzianella. The budding chef followed in his family’s footsteps and worked in eateries in Italy and Switzerland before heading to England, initially landing a job at the prestigious Anton Edelmann at The Savoy. 

After a stint in Paris in the ‘90s, where Locatelli worked at Restaurant Laurent and La Tour d’Argent, he returned to London to open his first solo venue: Olivo Restaurant on Belgravia’s Eccleston Street. 

Then, in 2002 came Locanda Locatelli – a grand opening complete with a dining room designed by David Collins. Before long, it became one of London’s hottest celebrity hangouts, attracting the likes of Kate Moss and Brad Pitt. But it wasn’t a case of style over substance: Locanda Locatelli also scooped up a Michelin star and garnered a reputation as one of the city’s top Italian restaurants. However, after 23 years, the restaurant closed its doors in 2025 citing ‘reasons out of our control.’ Locatelli then went on to open an eponymous new eatery with his wife Plaxy in the recently refurbished Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery, a more relaxed spot rooted in Italian classics.

The new bar at Locatelli on the Mezzanine (© The National Gallery, London/Edmund Sumner)

Locatelli is no stranger to the screen, having starred in shows like Pure Italian, Tony and Giorgio, Italy Unpacked and Sicily Unpacked – as well as featuring as a judge on MasterChef Italia in 2009.

The chef announced he would be joining Celebrity MasterChef during an appearance on the podcast Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware. When asked about what kind of judge he’ll be, Locatelli said, ‘I think I was the bad cop. I was strict about cleanliness and organisation. So those little skills that you teach them slowly.’

Celebrity MasterChef follows a similar format to MasterChef, with 24 contestants battling it out over a series of cooking challenges. ‘We’re working with celebrities which is different from working with people who wanted to be a chef,’ said Locatelli. ‘But still, you can really see them growing in what they do, and so this is the thing that interests me more on the whole experience.’ This year’s line-up is yet to be announced, but Locatelli revealed that ‘there was somebody who really surprised me a few times in the positive.’ 

He added, ‘it was good fun to do, it was really good fun to be with them. Everyone has already proven something in their lives, and they have already achieved something. That’s why they’re there, because they are celebrities in different fields.’

When Is Celebrity MasterChef Out?

We haven’t yet got a release date for the next series, but the show will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this summer.