logo
John Torode cancels public appearance event at last minute after Masterchef axe

John Torode cancels public appearance event at last minute after Masterchef axe

Daily Record18-07-2025
John Torode was set to step out at food festival next month but has now pulled out of the event amid his exit from the BBC.
John Torode has withdrawn from the Seaham Food Festival, Durham County Council has confirmed. The former MasterChef host was set to be the star of the show at the council run event on August 2 and 3.

Torode was expected to dazzle festival-goers in the cookery theatre with his culinary expertise but has now dropped out of the event. Despite his cancellation, Dean Edwards, Chris Baber, Nelly Ghaffar and other renowned chefs will still join over 120 traders in the seaside town for the weekend's festivities.

A representative from Durham County Council said: "We appreciate this has been a difficult time for John and, as a result, he has decided to take some time out. He will, therefore, not be appearing at this year's Seaham Food Festival." The announcement comes after the BBC and MasterChef production company Banijay's decision not to renew Torode's contract amid allegations of him using "highly offensive racist language" back in 2018.

John has vehemently denied the claim, insisting that he does not remember such an incident occurring, the Mirror reports.
The allegation surfaced during an independent probe conducted by the legal firm Lewis Silkin, which had previously substantiated 45 complaints against John's co-presenter Gregg Wallace, who was axed from MasterChef earlier this year.

John took to Instagram on Tuesday to address rumours of his departure from MasterChef, claiming the BBC and Banijay had left him in the dark.
The celebrity chef expressed his own confusion about the situation, writing: "Although I haven't heard from anyone at the BBC or Banijay – I am seeing and reading that I've been 'sacked' from MasterChef and I repeat that I have no recollection of what I'm accused of.
"The enquiry could not even state the date or year of when I am meant to have said something wrong."

Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Torode expressed disappointment at being axed from the show which he has been a part of since its 2005 relaunch and said that recent events seemed to have taken that choice away.
The 59-year-old reflected on his time and future on the BBC show, saying: "I'd hoped that I'd have some say in my exit from a show I've worked on since its relaunch in 2005, but events in the last few days seem to have prevented that.

"Over the past few months, I have been considering my life and the shape of it now and in the future."
Confirming his exit, he announced: "Celebrity MasterChef, which I recently filmed with Grace Dent along with two fantastic Christmas specials will be my last.
"Personally, I have loved every minute working on MasterChef, but it's time to pass the cutlery to someone else."

He encouraged whoever replaces him to cherish the role as much as he did and said he will continue to keep updated with the show while he focuses on new projects.
Torode added: "For whoever takes over, love it as I have. I will watch fondly from afar as I now focus on the many other exciting projects that I have been working towards."
Acknowledging the impact of his long tenure on the show, he joked about his stomach needing a break after two decades.
He added: "My tummy will be grateful for a rest after 20 years of eating, but what a joy it has been. Life is everchanging and ever moving and sometimes personal happiness and fulfilment lay elsewhere.
"Thank you for the many years of MasterChef. JOHN TORODE."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Strictly Come Dancing star opens up on new career move six years in the making
Strictly Come Dancing star opens up on new career move six years in the making

Daily Mirror

time26 minutes ago

  • Daily Mirror

Strictly Come Dancing star opens up on new career move six years in the making

Strictly Comes Dancing star Nicola Adams has revealed that she has been secretly taking acting lessons for the past six years and is set to make her debut next year She can already take pride in the fact that she is a two-time Olympic boxing champion and a star of Strictly Come Dancing. But now, Nicola Adams has lifted the lid on her new career move. ‌ The 42 year old former athlete has revealed that she has been taking acting lessons and is now set to make her acting debut in a film next year. Nicola is set to star in The Gun on Second Street alongside Poppy Delevigne and Bruce Willis' daughter Rumer. ‌ The film plot focuses on the escalating gun crime issue in America. Speaking about her new career, Nicola explained to The Sun: "I just want to work with people that are just as hungry as I am. I'm not one of those people that just show up and just expect everything to be fine." ‌ The former Strictly Come Dancing star who took the dancefloor by storm in 2020, added: "I put in the work, I put in the graft, just as I do as an athlete as well. I want to take it as far as I can in terms of how I grow as an actor. " Nicola told the publication that experiencing a vast array of roles and playing a variety of characters had allowed her to use what she has been taught over the years. ‌ The boxing champion has now undertaken a dark role for the upcoming film and she attributes her ability to delve into the personality of her character, which allows her to convincingly portray deep emotion. And when asked how she gets into character and show emotion, Nicola said that she tries to feel those emotions for herself and does not use things that make her feel sad to portray that emotion. ‌ Alongside her upcoming film, Nicola is also starring in a BBC children's show titled High Hoops, which is due for release in November. It seems that acting has been a life-long dream and now that she no longer competes in the boxing ring, Nicola is now free to pursue her dream. Explaining her new career, Nicola explained to the publication that she simply did not have time to think about acting while boxing. But she claimed that doing Strictly allowed her to try something new. ‌ In November of 2020, Nicola was forced to bow out of the BBC dancing show after her partner Katya Jones tested positive for Covid. At the time, the gold medalist said: "I'm absolutely devastated my Strictly journey has come to an end so soon. I had so much more to give and so many people to win this for! But I just want to say a huge thank you to Katya for being the best dance partner anyone could ask for." She added: "I'm gutted to be out of the competition but in these unprecedented times and as frustrating as it is, the Covid measures in place are to keep everyone safe, and I'm doing what I can to help." And you can certainly see why Nicola was left devastated as she had high hopes of winning the coveted glitterball. On the back of the announcement of her joining the 18th series of the show, she told the broadcaster in an interview: " I'm super competitive, so I'll definitely be putting 110% into my training, into performing, because I do want to win. Whether I'll be good enough to win is a completely different question!'

Huge crowds turn out in Hull to celebrate Pride event
Huge crowds turn out in Hull to celebrate Pride event

BBC News

timean hour ago

  • BBC News

Huge crowds turn out in Hull to celebrate Pride event

Thousands of people have gathered in Hull to take part in the city's annual Pride celebration, which is in its 23rd year, included a parade from Wellington Street to the city Margarita, who hosted Saturday's event, said "we're still fighting for equality" and that it was "increasingly important" that pride events took theme of this year's event was You're Welcome. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store