Gregg Wallace has weighed in on friend Grace Dent’s shock departure from I’m A Celebrity.
The MasterChef stars have worked alongside each other for a decade and speaking at the Rose d’Or Awards on Monday night, he weighed in on the drama.
Amid concerns the food critic, 50, was struggling with eating in the jungle, Gregg mused: ‘Listen she has been a guest judge on MasterChef many times and I am sure she can cope with a bit of dodgy food in the jungle.
‘I don’t think that is the reason she has gone.’
Yet the former greengrocer, 59, confessed: ‘ I don’t know why she has left. John Torode told me about it. I hope she is OK.’
Gregg Wallace has weighed in on friend Grace Dent’s shock departure from I’m A Celebrity, shutting down a fan theory that she was struggling with the food in the jungle
Fans had been left concerned for the food critic, 50, after she had begun to look ‘scarily unwell’ during her time in the jungle
During Monday’s episode of I’m A Celeb, Grace left her campmates in tears with a heartbreaking goodbye letter.
Fans had been left concerned for her after she had begun to look ‘scarily unwell’ during her time in the jungle – and it was announced she had quit the show for good earlier on Monday.
On Sunday evening Grace was nominated for latest trial Down The Tubes with This Morning host Josie Gibson, only to pull out on medical grounds.
She left a farewell message for her emotional campmates in the form of a laminated letter, which was read aloud by a teary Nick Pickard.
Grace admitted she believed she had ‘let down’ her campmates and said her heart was ‘broken’ following her exit as the campmates found out she had left the jungle for the first time.
The full statement read: ‘My Dear campmates, I’m so sorry to let you down. I have left the camp for medical reasons.
‘My heart is broken, I have loved and enjoyed getting to know you all. You’ve held me up and it’s been a pleasure being your friend through this experience.
‘Leaving you all at this stage will be one of the saddest things in my life. I love you all. Your friend, Miss Grace Dent.’
The letter was met with an outpouring of emotion from her fellow campmates, who chorused: ‘We love you Grace!’ as EastEnders’s Danielle was also reduced to tears.
Marvin exclaimed: ‘She hasn’t let us down,’ while Nella Rose said: ‘She’s like my pillar of strength. My little fairy godmother. As long as she’s happy I’m happy.’
Later on the group made a thoughtful toast to Grace over dinner as they enjoyed the meal Josie and Danielle had won in the trial.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, viewers were also moved by the note, and wished Grace had more screentime while she was on the show.
One said: ‘The campmates talking about Grace was lovely. It is a pity she didn’t get more airtime to see that side of her.’
Grace left her campmates teary-eyed with a heartbreaking goodbye letter on Monday night’s episode of I’m A Celebrity, read out by Nick Pickard
Fans all wished Grace had been given more screentime as she left a sweet note for her campmates
EastEnders’s Danielle Harold was reduced to tears at the news of Grace’s departure
Nella Rose said Grace had been her ‘fairy godmother’ and they had bonded over their jungle experience
Another added: ‘It’s a shame we didn’t see much of Grace, sounds like everyone thought a lot of her but we saw absolutely nothing.’
A third said: ‘yeah we didn’t see much of grace but the celebs spent all day every day with her, she obviously made a big impact on them all which is so sweet, bless danielle getting upset over it :((‘
However one noted: ‘Grace said more in that letter than in any episode this series!’
The food critic caught a flight back to the United Kingdom on Monday after seven days in camp, hours after pulling out of the show’s latest Bushtucker Trial.
Grace had sparked concern among ITV viewers, with many commenting on her gaunt appearance and pale, drawn complexion prior to her abrupt departure.
But sources claim her ordeal in the makeshift jungle camp ‘was a mental battle rather than physical and after a couple of days of rest and recovery she will be fine.’
On Monday it was revealed she had decided to leave after ‘losing all her energy’ in camp and reaching breaking point as she faced the prospect of doing another Bushtucker Trial.
Within three hours of the announcement being made Grace was spotted at Brisbane Airport as she made her return to the United Kingdom.
The food critic refused to talk to press at the airport and kept her head down as she rushed through the terminal.
Grace failed to raise a smile as she waited to check in and was spotted repeatedly rubbing her elbow as she waited in line.
An ITV statement read: ‘Unfortunately Grace Dent has left the show on medical grounds. She has been a great campmate and will be missed by her fellow celebrities and viewers alike’ (Grace is pictured just before entering camp with her trademark red lipstick)
On Sunday Grace was nominated for latest trial Down The Tubes with This Morning host Josie Gibson , only to pull out on medical grounds (pictured at Brisbane airport on Monday)
At one point she was spotted using her phone as a mirror after she had sparked concerns among viewers with her ‘unwell’ appearance in the jungle.
She took advantage of having her creature comforts returned and sported her trademark red lipstick.
Grace was casually clad for her flight, sporting a black vest top and loose fitting jeans.
After checking in Grace was down the escalator through a VIP entrance by her security team.
An insider has since revealed to MailOnline that Grace’s jungle exit was mutually decided between Grace and show bosses, who had intervened after seeing her visible deterioration in camp.
A source close to the MasterChef star revealed: ‘Grace decided to leave the jungle soon after it was announced that she would be doing the latest Bushtucker Trial.
‘Knowing that she would be facing another tough challenge was the straw that broke the camel’s back.’
They continued: ‘It was mutually agreed that she would stand down from the competition, it was clear that she wasn’t being herself, she had lost all energy when usually she’s witty and fun to be around.
‘ITV’s duty of care and welfare teams had stepped in, and rightly so.
‘She had struggled since living in the camp with less amenities, the weather this year has been particularly miserable and as a restaurant critic, not eating well proved to be harder than she could have ever imagined.
‘Grace is looking forward to seeing her loved ones now and after a few days of rest and recovery will be fine.’
Grace has struggled since kicking off her journey filming the Pole Position trial on Friday, November 24 and last week threatened to quit the show.
ITV confirmed her departure on Monday with a statement that read: ‘Unfortunately Grace Dent has left the show on medical grounds. She has been a great campmate and will be missed by her fellow celebrities and viewers alike.’
Grace quit I’m A Celebrity after ‘losing all her energy’ in camp and reaching breaking point as she faced the prospect of doing another Bushtucker Trial (pictured on Sunday’s show)
Fans claimed they didn’t even recognise the usual bubbly and glam MasterChef star (pictured left on Friday’s show and right on MasterChef in 2021)
