‘Torode was a soft target': The week MasterChef hit boiling point
Wallace and Torode had been MasterChef's odd couple ever since they became hosts in 2005. They had first met in the 1990s on the London restaurant scene, when Torode was working at Quaglino's and Wallace was his veg supplier. By then, both were circling 50: Wallace was on his fourth marriage and Torode on his second. Slightly improbably, given where they had started, they had become two of the biggest names on British television. In the photograph, they look like a pair of old boys quietly revelling in having got very, very lucky in life.
Surprising, then, that a year later, in 2017, Torode told a newspaper that in fact he and Wallace weren't close. 'It's funny, we've never been friends,' he told The Mirror. 'We've not been to each other's houses… He's so OCD, he wouldn't know what to do. He'd build it up in his mind for three days, and probably make himself quite sick, then he'd have an argument with his wife and not turn up. If I went to his house, he would feel like he wasn't in control.'
Torode admitted they wouldn't even spend time together if they were filming abroad. 'If we go away to somewhere like South Africa, we do things separately. If we do go out for a drink, I'll invariably be at one end of a big old table and he'll be at the other.
'Once, we had a bit too much to drink and filming got called off. We ended up having a massive fight about one of the contestants, and he got really stubborn – it was ridiculous. We've had a couple of stand-offs over the years, about contestants, and I've just had to walk away from him.'
Best men or remote colleagues – it's not clear which is the real story. Torode was sacked this week by Banijay, the production company that makes MasterChef, amid allegations he had made a racist remark. Until then, it had seemed that Wallace, who has had more than half of the 83 allegations levied against him upheld, was being cast as the wrong 'un; Torode was the innocent bystander.
But while there is no suggestion that Torode has been accused of the same kind of allegations as Wallace, this latest chaotic chapter in the great unravelling of the BBC's flagship show, has muddied the waters for the Australian presenter.
Torode, 59, is now facing claims he used the n-word at an after-show drinks in 2018, with the alleged incident reportedly coming to light during Banijay's own investigation into Wallace. The Sun also reported Torode had repeated lyrics from rapper Kanye West 's song Gold Digger, which contains a racial slur.
The BBC said Torode had used 'an extremely offensive racist term', adding: 'We will not tolerate racist language of any kind.
The Telegraph understands that Torode was the subject of multiple allegations, although only one was substantiated.
On Monday, the celebrity chef said he had 'absolutely no recollection' of that alleged incident. 'I do not believe that it happened. However, I want to be clear that I've always had the view that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment. I am shocked and saddened by the allegation, as I would never wish to cause anyone any offence.'
The question remains, then, was Torode just another powerful man in the public eye whose bad behaviour went unchecked? Or is he, as some fear, collateral damage of a PR disaster?
While Torode does, it now appears, have his critics within the MasterChef camp, some believe he has been mistreated, telling The Telegraph they were 'heartbroken' about the manner of his dismissal, as well as the doubts it has cast over the future of the show.
'People who have worked with him for a long time are feeling heartbroken about the way he has been treated,' says one insider. 'They are very upset that he's no longer on the show.'
One source close to the show was shocked by the allegations which they said 'seemed very unlikely'.
'He's a very well-spoken man. Those aren't words that sit on his lips.'
The source suggested Torode was collateral damage after the MasterChef fiasco, which saw Wallace accused of sexual misconduct, and left the BBC facing questions over its knowledge of his behaviour. 'It seems to me that this is the BBC getting tough on a soft target,' the source said, adding the presenter may have been a victim of over-sensitivity within the corporation in the wake of other recent scandals, like the broadcasting of anti-Semitic chants at Glastonbury.
'Who would have thought that John Torode would be a casualty of Israel-Palestine, which is basically what's happened.'
In December, The Telegraph revealed BBC bosses were alerted to complaints about Wallace on at least four different shows over the course of a decade. Monday's report revealed that alongside the allegations made against Wallace over 19 years, there were also 10 made against other people, two of which were substantiated.
On Tuesday afternoon, Torode released a statement confirming that one of the substantiated claims related to him. Wallace said this week he was 'deeply sorry for any distress' he caused. He has previously defended himself, saying he has recently been diagnosed with autism, but TV bosses had failed to 'investigate my disability', or 'protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment'.
Some say Torode is being tarred with the same brush as his co-star. 'Up until this moment, I've never heard anything bad about John,' said one industry insider. While inappropriate behaviour by Wallace was claimed to be common knowledge, there has never, the source said, been chatter about Torode. 'I think Gregg was one of those poorly-kept secrets, whereas John hasn't been [associated with inappropriate behaviour].'
Torode must at the very least have been witness to some of what one source described as the 'toxic' culture at MasterChef. The set might have had a 'glamorous veneer', the source said, but 'the reality was very different'. 'Everyone was too frightened to call out bad behaviour, even though everyone knew it was going on.'
Aasmah Mir, the BBC presenter and former Celebrity MasterChef contestant, said that when Wallace made an inappropriate remark to her during filming – telling her to tell a BBC colleague she was a 'sexy b---h' – Torode failed to step in. 'What I know is Gregg Wallace used an incredibly inappropriate term, and John Torode didn't do anything,' she told ITV's Good Morning Britain. 'There was no emotion.'
'It was an uncomfortable experience. I remember feeling destabilised, my cheeks were burning. I remember thinking I don't know what happened there. No one said anything. And both Gregg Wallace and John Torode just looked completely blank, like nothing had happened.'
One source close to the show told The Telegraph, Torode 'could be quite sharp... He was very good at managing up, knowing how to behave in the company of important people.'
Another described him as 'a typical Aussie – a bit of a sledger when it came to jokes, and he could be very blunt in the way he addressed people'.
'That's the environment he grew up in,' the source said. 'The idea that Gregg was the only one whose comments could offend people is not right.'
A fellow Australian who encountered Torode at an event organised by the Australian Embassy, put it even more bluntly, saying he was 'a total flog' – Australian slang for a pretentious, conceited person.
Meanwhile, a source who worked with both Wallace and Torode, said that despite the way the pair have been portrayed, Torode was less popular than Wallace. 'Gregg, for all his faults, was a warm character and many people on MasterChef felt generously towards him even if they could see that some of his comments were inappropriate. There was less love and generosity felt towards John, definitely.'
The Telegraph understands the pair have not spoken since Wallace was forced to step down in November. 'They had a really good on-screen partnership, but it stopped there,' says one source. 'They were never mates,' the source adds, casting new light on the Hello! photoshoot, which begins to look like more of a publicity stunt.
Nevertheless, a friend of Wallace insisted that he took no pleasure in Torode's dismissal. 'He has said to me he was really upset that John has gone. He didn't want to see this happen to anybody else. There is no solace for him in John going.'
Some industry insiders feel the show will ride this latest wave. 'It's a colossus, and you have to remember Britain is just one territory where it's shown. It's inconceivable that it would be scrapped. It's a very big deal, a key part of the schedule. I'd say it's pretty indestructible.'
Others say the loss of Torode presents a crucial opportunity to breathe fresh air into a tired format, including, perhaps, with female presenters. 'The BBC were too slow to realise the show badly needed a reboot,' says one source. 'They needed to change it up five years ago. If they had, they wouldn't be in this position.
'There has long been a question about whether Gregg and John were the right people to lead it anyway. Now, they're in a position where they're going to have to bring it back from the brink and completely rebrand it. They need two new people to draw a line under the Gregg and John situation. And they have to get that choice right, with hosts who have real food knowledge, or it'll be over for the show.'
What happens next for Torode remains to be seen. ITV is standing by him and will continue to broadcast the Saturday morning show, John and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen. In a statement on Instagram this week, Torode said he hadn't heard from the BBC or Banijay. 'I am seeing and reading that I have been sacked from MasterChef, and I repeat that I have no recollection of what I'm accused of.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
13 minutes ago
- The Sun
Trinny Woodall opens up about ex-husband's suicide and says there's ‘nothing I could have done'
TELLY fashion guru Trinny Woodall has said there is 'nothing I could have done' to stop her ex-husband's suicide. Trinny, 61, co-host with Susannah Constantine of BBC show What Not To Wear, lost Johnny Elichaoff, 55, in 2014 — five years after they split. 3 He jumped 50ft to his death after taking a 'potentially fatal' amount of painkiller. Trinny said: "I think going back to earlier, it's that would've, should've, could've - so do I regret that I didn't do more for my ex-husband to stop him killing himself? "No, because it was nothing I could have done. "To ponder on the regret of somebody who kills himself, it can take you into the darkest hole. 'But you can also know when somebody who is in that situation switches off, and that is their path and nobody can get in. 'I had to learn.' Mum Trinny also told Fearne Cotton's Happy Place that she also had no regrets about taking drugs for a decade. "I actually don't. "Because it gave me such a depth of having to deal with life at an early age. "Some testing things that it rounded me up more as a person. Trinny Woodall: The Evolution of a Beauty Icon 'When I got into my 30s, I had a lot of experience to draw on to be resilient. "So thereby I don't regret that it happened and I should draw upon it.' 3 You're Not Alone EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign. The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives. Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You're Not Alone. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: CALM, 0800 585 858 Heads Together, HUMEN Mind, 0300 123 3393 Papyrus, 0800 068 41 41 Samaritans, 116 123
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Johnny Depp moves to Sussex: Pirates of the Caribbean star snaps up large house after living in the county during Covid in guitarist Jeff Beck's 16th century cottage
EXCLUSIVE Johnny Depp moves to Sussex: Pirates of the Caribbean star snaps up large house after living in the county during Covid in guitarist Jeff Beck's 16th century cottage He cuts the most bohemian of figures. But it can be revealed that Johnny Depp has joined the gin-and-jag set by putting down roots in the Home Counties, snapping up a large house in the Sussex countryside, near the border with Kent. He was chauffeured from there to the premiere of his new film, Modigliani: Three Days On The Wing Of Madness, last week, which is why he reportedly was a little late. Two years ago, there were reports – which proved inaccurate – suggesting the Anglophile actor had moved to Somerset. In fact, he was holed up in London, in a Soho townhouse and art studio, where he lived for a couple of years. The Daily Mail's Alison Boshoff reported in July last year and recently-published interviews with Depp were indeed conducted in Soho. However, for reasons of peace, privacy and security he's now decided to move out to the country, just like his late best friend, the guitarist Jeff Beck, it can be revealed today. Johnny Depp has decided to move out to the English countryside, just like his late best friend, the guitarist Jeff Beck Jeff Beck under a wisteria in his beautiful Sussex walled garden. The guitar hero supported the local wildlife rescue charity and would be seen chatting to locals and even pottering around the Co-op supermarket Beck lived in a 16th-century farmhouse in Wadhurst, Sussex; and Depp stayed with him during the Covid pandemic. A friend said Depp said he was 'in the English sticks', which he described as 'very beautiful and wet'. Depp has a huge house in the south of France, where he and ex-partner Vanessa Paradis largely raised their children Lily-Rose and Jack; and a Caribbean island, Little Hall's Pond Cay, where he tied the knot with Amber Heard in February 2015. That relationship unravelled just two years later, and after the divorce came two legal battles over allegations of domestic abuse. Depp lost the libel action which he brought at the UK High Court in 2020, after being called a 'wife beater', but successfully brought a libel action against Heard in a US court in 2022. Depp told the High Court in 2020 he'd lost $650million of the money he made at the peak of his Pirates Of The Caribbean fame, and was left owing $100million in taxes, on account of managers he accused of stealing from him. But friends say, despite unhappy memories of his British court case, Depp feels at home here. Key members of his team, including the CEO of his UK production company, Stephen Deuters, are based here. Depp seems to enjoy East Sussex, and has been spotted at The Middle House pub and hotel in Mayfield. He's also taken a tour of the Folly Wildlife Rescue animal centre in Kent, of which Beck was patron, and was pictured cradling an orphaned badger named Freddie Mercury. Depp was devastated by Beck's sudden death from bacterial meningitis in January 2023. Johnny was reportedly at his bedside. He and the guitarist's widow Sandra gave him a 'green burial' in the grounds of his house in Sussex. And it is perhaps no surprise that Depp is drawn to settling there himself. Johnny may even take a leaf out of his old friend's quieter life as a country gent. Beck supported the local wildlife rescue charity and would be seen chatting to locals and even pottering around the Co-op supermarket - though, of course, villagers said some 'absurdly gorgeous classic car' would be parked wherever he went. Depp gave an interview to Hollywood Authentic where he said: 'There's a couple who very much helped to keep me alive and sane and happy through the weirdness. And that's Jeff and Sandra [Beck's wife]' Beck lived in Wadhurst in East Sussex, which has repeatedly been named as the overall best place to live in the UK. Depp lived there with his friend during the pandemic When he wasn't recording in his home studio, or touring the world and playing his iconic music to thousands of adoring fans, Beck would even write the occasional letter to Wealden Council. Only his friend Johnny Depp would raise eyebrows in the community, with a taxi driver who once picked up the Hollywood star near Beck's place in Wadhurst - where they had been jamming - telling BBC journalist Victoria Valentine that the actor's 'jangly necklaces' were 'a bit unusual in rural Sussex'. The pair first met in 2016 and began recording the album in 2019 while Depp was also playing with Alice Cooper's supergroup Hollywood Vampires. In 2022 Beck released a full length album, titled 18, with Depp and the pair played a number of live gigs together. Depp gave an interview to Hollywood Authentic where he said: 'There's a couple who very much helped to keep me alive and sane and happy through the weirdness. And that's Jeff and Sandra [Beck's wife]'. Beck, regarded as one of rock's greatest ever guitarists, was ranked fifth in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the '100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time'. His extraordinary career saw him share the stage with some of music's biggest names – and produce an album as well as touring with Depp in 2022.
Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Hunky Hollyoaks star 'signs up to celebrity dating app Raya as he returns to the UK to find love'
Ricky Whittle has reportedly returned to London and is reportedly looking for love as he signed up to celebrity dating app Raya. The ex-Hollyoaks star, who finished runner up on Strictly Come Dancing in 2009, moved to Los Angeles to work in Hollywood in 2011. According to The Sun, one picture showed the actor cuddling a quokka and another of him running shirtless through a street. A source said: 'It's like he's saying I'm cuddly, hot and very available. 'His profile popped up a couple of weeks ago. It says he's an actor who lives in LA but was visiting London. 'Given how good he looks, I bet he had loads of people swiping on his profile.' Ricky is best known over here for playing Calvin Valentine on Hollyoaks. After his character was killed off in 2010, Ricky relocated moved and has starred in shows including The 100 and American Gods. Despite all of his success across the pond, during his interview with MailOnline in 2023 Ricky did not completely rule out a possible return to the British soap one day. He said: 'Would I ever do a soap again? Probably not, but for fun why not, I don't care as I'm in a fortunate position, where I don't need to work. 'I haven't been in Hollyoaks for 20 years but at the end of the day you can never shy away from where you came from.' He also opened up about the influence his time on Hollyoaks had on his acting skills, saying: 'If it wasn't for Hollyoaks I wouldn't be where I am now. 'Hollyoaks is an education, you're learning 12 to 15 scripts every day and halfway through a day, new pages are coming down and it's like "learn them now" and you just get it done and don't think about'. 'My character went from being the good guy, to the bad guy to the club owner, to the policeman, to your sister's on drugs, to you'd killed someone and then he's back to life - it's like you go through a whole gambit of emotions'. 'If that's not great education for an actor- I don't know what is.' He added: 'I would never look down on soap actors because they're the ones that are putting in five days a week and I've got nothing but love for those guys and what that show did for me.' He turned his back on Hollywood in 2023, telling MailOnline he was 'done' with America and its 'crazy politics' and was planning to move away from Los Angeles. But just a couple of years later it seems Ricky may be considering a return to the big time as the hunky actor made a surprise appearance at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival earlier this year. He arrived on the red carpet in southern France looking typically dapper in a black tux ahead of his role presenting the festival's Golden Nymph Awards Ceremony alongside Shy'm, 39. The duo posed for photos together, with Ricky playfully making sure the spotlight was on the French actress as she put on a leggy display in an eye-catching black and white dress. Later in the evening the pair suffered an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction while performing a dance routine on-stage as Shy'm spilled out her outfit momentarily. Whittle was last seen on television while playing Mickey Barnes in one episode of The Rookie, a show following a police officer in Los Angeles. Prior to that the 45-year-old had enjoyed a quiet couple of years work-wise after the end of American Gods in 2021.
