Grace Dent says she ‘nearly ruined’ Paddy McGuinness

Dent made the admission after appearing alongside McGuinness and fellow judge Giorgio Locatelli on the latest series of Celebrity MasterChef, where the trio were tasked with tasting dishes prepared by celebrity contestants including Emily Campbell, Jason Mohammad, Jay McGuiness, Joe Pasquale and Shakira Khan.

At the time of filming, McGuinness was in the middle of an intensive health and fitness plan. The TV presenter had recently completed the popular 75 Hard challenge and was following a strict diet as he prepared for a major magazine photoshoot.

Paddy McGuinness has opened up about his weight loss journey (Image: David Venni/Men’s Health UK/PA Wire)

However, his healthy eating routine was put to the test when contestants served up a selection of meat pies and dessert pies packed with pastry, chocolate and sugar.

Reflecting on the experience, Dent told Men’s Health magazine that she joked that she had almost undone weeks of hard work.

She said: “I nearly ruined Paddy McGuinness’ diet for the cover of Men’s Health.

“Paddy had been living on boiled chicken and broccoli for 42 days when we forced him to eat so much sugar, chocolate and pastry.

“He left winded, emotionally broken, and perilously high on nougat.

“Yes, I did make Paddy shout ‘no likey no lighty’ at me. It was strangely exhilarating.”

Paddy McGuinness will feature in the latest edition of Men’s Health (Image: David Venni/Men’s Health UK/PA Wire)

Dent has been a judge on MasterChef since joining the programme in 2024.

Despite the mountain of pies, pastries and sweet treats put in front of him during filming, McGuinness’ transformation remained firmly on track.

The presenter later appeared on the cover of Men’s Health after following a demanding training schedule involving regular full-body workouts and a tightly controlled diet.

Fortunately for McGuinness, it seems a day in the Celebrity MasterChef kitchen was not enough to knock him off course, despite Dent’s best efforts.