Grace Dent: Almost Everything I’ve Done, I’ve Been Told No First

Grace Dent: Almost Everything I’ve Done, I’ve Been Told No First

Author: Global July 18, 2025 Duration: 1:02:35

Before she was a MasterChef judge and one of Britain’s most distinctive food writers, Grace Dent was a Carlisle kid eating crispy pancakes and dreaming of life beyond beige dinners. In this episode of Full Disclosure, she joins James O’Brien to talk about blagging her way into London media, finding her voice through food, and why she still can’t believe they let her near the foie gras.

Grace reflects on growing up in a loud, loving, working-class family, and how her obsession with pop culture, Smash Hits and Paula Yates convinced her she was destined for something bigger. They talk about class, ambition, the snobbery that still haunts food writing- and why MasterChef was the job her mum would’ve loved most but never got to see.

With sharp wit, candour and zero pretence, Grace dishes up a story of rejection, reinvention and the joy of really good jam.

This episode was recorded on 24th June 2025, prior to the release of the report into allegations of inappropriate behaviour by MasterChef's presenters on 14th July 2025.

Find out more about Zopa Bank here


You know that feeling when a conversation goes deeper than you expected, moving past the headlines and soundbites into something more real? That’s the space where Full Disclosure with James O'Brien lives. Hosted by the award-winning LBC presenter and author, this podcast is built on a simple but powerful premise: a genuinely curious interviewer meeting fascinating people from politics, news, and entertainment. James O’Brien brings his thoughtful perspective to each discussion, not to debate, but to understand. The result is a series of compelling dialogues that feel more like eavesdropping on a great chat between insightful minds than a formal interview. You’ll hear guests reveal layers of their experiences and opinions in a way that only happens when the questions are interested, not just interesting. It’s a refreshing take in a crowded field, focusing on the substance and the story behind the public persona. For anyone interested in the forces shaping our society, arts, and culture, this podcast offers a nuanced and engaging listen. Each episode is a chance to step away from the noise and into a conversation that prioritizes depth and disclosure, all delivered with the intelligence and clarity listeners have come to expect from James O’Brien.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Full Disclosure with James O'Brien
Podcast Episodes
Rupert Everett: “I stuck out like a sore thumb in Hollywood" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:11
For thirty-six year, James has been chasing this interview and now, he's finally secured it. Actor, writer and director Rupert Everett joins him to talk about the highs and lows of his extraordinary 40-year career in sho…
Hanif Kureishi: A freak accident left me paralysed - and it broke me [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:13
"I really need a future. What happened to me is so dark and so depressing that I've got to believe in something." On Boxing Day 2022, Hanif Kureishi's life changed forever. The acclaimed novelist and playwright had a fal…
Sir David Jason: "I’m addicted to an audience" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:47
"I wasn’t driven by being famous, I was driven by being successful. I wanted to be recognised by my peers, people who I considered ‘posh actors’”.Award-winning actor and bestselling author, Sir David White, is better kno…
William Dalrymple: A life shaped by history [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:57
"I'm that lucky guy who found his hobby and was able to turn it into a job." William Dalrymple is a multi-award winning and bestselling historian. Growing up on the Dalrymple family estate in North Berwick, with an almos…
Graeme Park: How I accidentally became a resident DJ at the Hacienda [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:00
Graeme Park is a legendary DJ and one of the founders of the UK's house music movement. Best known for his nine-year residency at Manchester's iconic superclub, The Hacienda, Graeme's journey into DJing was far from plan…
Jon Sopel: The Making of a News Agent [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:19
"Britain is nowhere near as bad as America but let's not get complacent about the risk."Jon Sopel is a journalist, broadcaster and author who launched the hugely successful The News Agents podcast with Emily Maitlis and…
From The Vault: Angela Rayner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:52
James is back with another incredible guest from the Full Disclosure vault. Angela Rayner is a politician you simply can’t ignore, Her story is as inspiring as it is unlikely. She grew up in poverty in Stockport, left sc…
From The Vault: Sir Keir Starmer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:51
James revisits one of the most memorable episodes of Full Disclosure with none other than the current Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer. Sir Keir’s journey to Downing Street was far from straightforward. In fact, for a lo…