Wallace proves major turn-off as MasterChef loses 700k viewers

Telegraph

08-08-2025

MasterChef has lost hundreds of thousands of viewers following the Gregg Wallace controversy.
Just under two million people watched the first episode of the new series, featuring the now-sacked co-presenters Wallace and John Torode.
It marked a dip of more than 700,000 viewers since last year's show, which aired before a review into the conduct of the long-time hosts led to them being axed by the BBC in July.
The new figures come after the broadcaster quietly released the first three episodes of the cooking programme on iPlayer on Wednesday morning, before the series opener played on TV in the channel's 8pm slot.
The new instalments, which had been filmed before the allegations of their workplace conduct came to light, were labelled by critics as awkward and lacking in its usual humour and energy.
Editors appeared to have implemented a ban on Wallace and Torode's banter throughout, with the pair's screen time also kept as minimal as possible, including their interactions with the hopeful amateur chefs.
Having previously been littered with food quips and banter between the hosts of 20 years and the contestants, the first episode does not introduce a single joke until 37 minutes in, when Wallace makes a quip about his bald head.
It comes after an independent investigation upheld 45 allegations against Wallace of inappropriate behaviour and one complaint against Torode for an incident in 2018, where he is alleged to have used the n-word during after-show drinks.
The BBC edited the programme in light of the upheld findings, but the corporation is understood to have faced 'limitations' on how much the former co-presenters could be cut, given they are the main hosts.
In the new series, their roles are kept to welcoming new contestants, interviewing them as they cook, explaining the challenges, tasting the dishes and announcing when 'time's up'.
TV critic Scott Bryan noted that 'there's not really any jokes and chat is kept to a minimum,' adding that the two hosts were 'not there so much for our entertainment' as they once were.
The future of this year's amateur series had been thrown into doubt by the allegations, but the BBC announced a few weeks ago that it had made the decision to air it as 'the right thing to do' for the chefs who took part.
The decision was not without backlash, including from one contestant who was edited out of the programme after calling for it to be scrapped.
'The show isn't really about them'
According to overnight figures, this year's series opener had 1.96m viewers, compared to 2.73m for the 2024 launch.
Coverage on the BBC noted that other factors could play into the decline, including the falling viewership of terrestrial TV year on year as well as the fact that MasterChef is usually released before the summer.
The figures come after a former MasterChef winner Thomasina Miers said she could not understand the idea of not showing the new series: 'I just don't get the purpose. I don't understand the mentality that you can hurt a viewer.. You know, I think we are adults in this world.'
She added: 'Either don't watch the show if you don't want to see them, or realise that the show isn't really about them, it's about the people who are contesting.'
Ms Miers, who won in 2005, also came out in support of Torode, saying the Australian chef had been 'incredibly nurturing and supportive' towards contestants when she took part.
Speaking to the podcast Spooning with Mark Wogan, Ms Miers said she was 'gobsmacked' by the allegation against him. 'The idea of John being racist frankly is so ludicrous,' she said.
Torode, 59, said he had 'no recollection' of the incident and was 'shocked and saddened' by his departure, adding that he knew any racist language 'is wholly unacceptable in any environment'.
Meanwhile, Wallace claimed through a statement on Instagram that he had been cleared by that report of 'the most serious and sensational allegations' made against him.
He said: 'I recognise that some of my humour and language, at times, was inappropriate. For that, I apologise without reservation. But I was never the caricature now being sold for clicks.'
The Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said this week that she ' certainly won't be watching ' the new show and former Celebrity MasterChef contestant Kirsty Wark, who came forward with claims against Wallace, suggested the broadcaster could have refilmed it.
The final episodes of the series will see Wallace replaced by Irish chef Anna Haugh, because the allegations against him first emerged during filming in November. Torode will feature throughout.