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The premiere date for MasterChef in 2026 has been announced.

Fans of the popular BBC series will be pleased to learn that they won’t have to wait for long.

The highly-anticipatedThe 22nd season of the beloved BBC program will return to BBC One on Tuesday, April 21st, at 9:00 PM.

The official BBC website mentions that the first episode is scheduled to be broadcast on 21 April,then episode two on Wednesday, April 22, and part three on Thursday, April 23. 

‘Into the kitchen and under the spotlight. Amateur cooks duel it out for the right to be called the MasterChef UK Champion,’ the Beeb’s synopsis reads. 

And it will be the inaugural instance ofGrace Dent, 52, and Anna Haugh, 45, appear on our screens as the new panelists.

The duo have succeeded former judges Gregg Wallace, 61, and John Torode, 60, following their dismissal in July 2025.

Gregg was dismissed after a series of misconduct accusations connected to his tenure on the show.

Meanwhile, John was fired after twenty years due to accusations that he used the N-word.

The two have collaborated on the show since 2005.

Viewers might also be surprised to learn that the show will consist of 21 episodes this season, instead of the usual 22.

MasterChef has been broadcasted since 1990.

The initial production continued until 2001, and was subsequently brought back in 2005.

In September, it was announced that Grace and Anna will take on the leading roles in the cooking show.

Grace already hosted Celebrity MasterChef together with dismissed judge John in November 2025. 

Food critic Grace and chef Anna secured the highly sought-after positions on the judging panel, surpassing Monica Galetti and Marcus Wareing.

A television source shared with the magazine: ‘It’s truly thrilling that two women are serving as judges on the program, particularly since, in the past, it has been primarily led by men, but reaching a conclusion hasn’t been straightforward.’

Grace and Anna exhibit exceptional rapport.

They are aware of the significant duty and are eager to perform for the supporters.

The Daily Mail has reached out to BBC, Grace, and Anna for their input at that time.

The report arrived following MasterChefdropped almost one million viewerswhen the new series was broadcast in August 2025.

The 21st series, which sparked debate, was broadcast following its arrival onBBCiPlayer earlier in the day – following the broadcaster’s choice to broadcast the episodes.

There was a sudden effort to rework it and reduce the visibility of its celebrities.Gregg and John.

Both hosts have been removed from leading upcoming seasons of the popular cooking competition in recent weeks.

Only 1.96 million viewers watched the first episode – a decrease from 2.73 million who tuned in for last year’s opening episode, according to reports.The BBC itself.

Audience members criticized the ‘insensitive’ BBC for their ‘strange choice’ topress forward with the new season following the dismissal of both presenters.

Several viewers were puzzled that the show was broadcast following the incident – meanwhile, a nonverbal communication specialist claimed the hosts did not have ‘on-screen rapport’.

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