John Torode axed from MasterChef as allegations upheld
Last night (Monday, July 14 ), Torode posted on Instagram confirming he was the person alleged to have used racist language but said he had 'no recollection of the incident' and was 'shocked and saddened' by the allegation.
A post shared by John Torode (@johntorodecooks)
Confirming Torode's exit, a Banijay spokesperson said: 'In response to John Torode's statement, it is important to stress that Banijay UK takes this matter incredibly seriously.
'The legal team at Lewis Silkin that investigated the allegations relating to Gregg Wallace also substantiated an accusation of highly offensive racist language against John Torode which occurred in 2018.
'This matter has been formally discussed with John Torode by Banijay UK, and whilst we note that John says he does not recall the incident, Lewis Silkin have upheld the very serious complaint.
"Banijay UK and the BBC are agreed that we will not renew his contract on MasterChef.'
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A BBC spokesperson added that the allegation against Torode 'involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace' which was 'investigated and substantiated' by the independent investigation led by Lewis Silkin.
They said: 'John Torode denies the allegation. He has stated he has no recollection of the alleged incident and does not believe that it happened. He also says that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment.
'The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously. We will not tolerate racist language of any kind and, as we have already said, we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken. John Torode's contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.'
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"It was necessary for safety and survival - eat at a certain time, move at a certain time, sleep at a certain time, change diapers at a certain time. "The real concern I had, and I still have, is how do you get that secure attachment going with so many kids, and you are on your own? "There is a grandad who is in and out, but no real main male figure. With all those peripheral concerns, the outcome speaks for itself. And the kids all speak highly of Nadya. It worked.' Dr Drew is hoping to reconnect with Nadya one day, and says she proved the haters wrong. 17 The mum-of-14 embraced her fame for a while, before completely shunning the spotlight Credit: Getty - Contributor 17 She now shares glimpses of her healthy lifestyle to Instagram Credit: nataliesuleman - Instagram 17 Aged 50, she's overcome addiction and mental health struggles and turned her life around Credit: nataliesuleman - Instagram 'I would hug her,' he says. 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