2 days ago
MasterChef shows same shot of Gregg Wallace three times in editing blunder
An edited MasterChef episode showed the same shot of sacked presenter Gregg Wallace three times in under a minute.
A clip of the edit, lasting 54 seconds, has gone viral on X after a TV critic drew attention to the 'utterly wild' production gaffe.
It comes after the BBC revealed that it had tried to limit the screen time of now-sacked co-presenters Wallace and John Torode.
The broadcasters were ousted from the show they had presented for 20 years earlier this summer following an independent review into their workplace conduct.
The 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 a racial slur during after-show drinks.
Limits on presenter's screen time
The BBC was forced to edit the popular amateur cooking programme in light of the upheld findings, and decided to release the first three episodes of the new series on iPlayer last week.
Editors were understood to have faced 'limitations' on how much the former co-presenters could be cut, given they are the main hosts of the show and their banter previously played a considerable role.
Last week the new instalments, which had been filmed before the allegations of their workplace conduct came to light, were labelled by critics as lacking in the show's usual humour and energy.
Viewers have now taken aim at the latest edit. Editors appeared to have implemented a ban on their usual banter throughout the show, and in place of a typical quip or comment, Wallace has so far appeared mostly smiling or simply interviewing the contestants.
The latest clip is an interaction between the two former hosts and one of the amateur chefs while she prepares a rack of lamb.
Reoccurring footage
Wallace appear, saying: 'I love a rack of lamb, but it scares me. Don't want it underdone, I want it beautifully browned and crispy on the outside and pink in the middle.'
His smiling face is brought on in response to the contestant describing her ingredients, as well as to her response to Torode telling her she is 'up against it' with time. She asks the presenters: 'Isn't that what I'm here to do? Push myself? Take a risk?'
The same Wallace clip is then shown again after she tells them: 'I've never faulted so far, so let's hope I don't fault now.'
In response to the editing, TV critic Scott Bryan asked: 'Utterly wild that MasterChef showed the same Gregg Wallace face three times in just one minute. Are they running out of bits to show us?'
In the new series, Torode and Wallace's roles are kept to welcoming the new contestants, interviewing them as they cook, explaining the challenges and tasting the dishes.
It comes after the future of this year's series had been thrown into doubt by the allegations as the BBC weighed up broadcasting the programme at all.
A few weeks ago, the corporation announced that it had made the decision to air it as 'the right thing to do' for the amateur chefs who took part.
The decision, however, was not without backlash, including from two contestants who were edited out of the programme altogether after calling for it to be scrapped.
A 'significant' dip in viewership
Early viewing figures pointed to a significant fall in the show's usual viewership, showing that just under two million people had tuned in to watch the first episode. It marked a dip of more than 700,000 viewers since the launch of last year's show, when the presenters were not facing any workplace conduct allegations.
In response to the findings, Torode said he had 'no recollection' of the alleged racial slur 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.'
