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BBC News
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
MasterChef: Unseen series featuring Gregg Wallace and John Torode will be broadcast
A new series of MasterChef which was recorded before presenters Gregg Wallace and John Torode were sacked will be shown on BBC One and iPlayer, the corporation has BBC said it had taken the decision "after careful consideration and consultation with the contestants"."MasterChef is an amazing competition which is life-changing for the amateur chefs taking part," the corporation said in a statement. "The focus of it has always been their skill and their journey."The BBC also said it had not taken a decision on the completed celebrity series and Christmas special, filmed with Torode and food critic Grace Dent. Earlier this month, a report revealed more than 40 claims against Wallace had been upheld, while a claim that Torode had used a severely offensive racist term was also News understands the way the programme is edited will be looked at in light of the findings, with a view taken on the prominence of Wallace and Torode. It is thought there will be limitations given the pair are the show's main presenters, but the focus is likely to be on the contestants. In its statement, the BBC said: "This has not been an easy decision in the circumstances and we appreciate not everyone will agree with it. "In showing the series, which was filmed last year, it in no way diminishes our view of the seriousness of the upheld findings against both presenters. We have been very clear on the standards of behaviour that we expect of those who work at the BBC or on shows made for the BBC."However, we believe that broadcasting this series is the right thing to do for these cooks who have given so much to the process. We want them to be properly recognised and give the audience the choice to watch the series." Previous contestants on the show previously told BBC News that being on MasterChef can be "life-changing" for some of the women who came forward with claims against Wallace have said they didn't think it should be former MasterChef worker suggested it would show "a real lack of respect" to people like her if the series was aired, while another warned it would "make a mockery" of the people who have spoken BBC concluded its statement by describing MasterChef as "a brilliant, much-loved programme which is bigger than any one individual". "There are many talented, dedicated and hard-working people who make the show what it is. It will continue to flourish on the BBC and we look forward to it returning stronger than ever in the future."
Daily Mirror
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
MasterChef's Grace Dent says 'I grew up eating sludge' as she's tipped to replace Gregg Wallace
Former I'm A Celeb star and restaurant critic Grace Dent was announced as Gregg Wallace's replacement on MasterChef last year. Grace has recorded the new series with co judge John Torode who has now been sacked too. She may have grown up eating Angel Delight and Findus fast food, but her palette is now finely tuned for TV stardom, as Grace Dent is hailed the firm favourite to present MasterChef. The food critic - a former Daily Mirror journalist - is the bookies' 15/8 favourite to take over, after a string of controversies saw current presenters Gregg Wallace and John Torode sacked from the BBC1 show. Given a taste of MasterChef glory, as co-presenter of the celebrity version alongside Torode since the end of last year, Grace, 51 - who talks proudly of her working class roots in Carlisle - is keen to become the new ' Queen of Cooking.' She says: "I have been on telly for a long time. I love being on telly. I've been on MasterChef since 2013 as a 'turn'. But I have been watching it since I was a little girl, when we had Loyd Grossman. "I used to sit on the sofa with my dad, and the restaurant critics would walk in and we would laugh our socks off at them coming in and going, 'Well, this is the worst foie gras in the world '. We would just be laughing, going, 'Look at this person'.' Chuckling as she remembers people running through their dishes, she impersonates them, going: ''I've got a ballotine of lamb, and a port reduction, and a fondant potato,' and all of these things". 'We didn't have them in Carlisle. "But the show is this incredible rollercoaster that makes people happy all over Britain.' Grace is keen to follow in the footsteps of cooking shows' great women presenters, like Mary Berry and Prue Leith. She says: 'Food is the biggest love of my life. I want to do more. Prue and Mary Berry, I mean, they go on forever. So, yeah, that's what I want to do.' The BBC has yet to confirm who will be MasterChef's new hosts, but Grace leads an eminent line-up of contenders, including chefs Tom Kerridge and James Martin, former Radio 1 star Chris Stark and rapper-turned cook Big Zuu. If she does land the coveted role Grace, who shares warm memories of growing-up in a 'Coronation Street- style' house, says her one regret will be that her parents are no longer around to see it. "It is jarring to me this has happened in 2025 when my parents have gone,' she says. 'Because to present MasterChef is the first that I would have had that they would have fully understood. "My mother would have bored people to tears. ' Her parents were married to other people when they met and ran away together. Grace recalls: 'My mother looked like Diana Doors. She was booby and blonde and glam and wore trouser suits and my father was a squaddie, a soldier and had been stationed up in Carlisle for a while.' Of their affair, she continues: 'They had me very, very quickly. It was quite a big deal in the 70s. I think that my parents met and ran away in haste and then lamented their decision over the next 50 years.' Grace, who was speaking to James O'Brien for his Full Disclosure podcast before Wallace and Torode were sacked, credits her parents with cultivating her love of food. And she has no time for food snobbery, adding: "This is the problem that we have with the ultra-processed food debate, going back to the 70s when I was a child. 'The fact is, a Findus crispy pancake in 1970 filled with minced beef was delicious, as well as oven chips dipped in salad cream. "I didn't eat the rainbow when I was a child. We ate the sludge. I want to tell the truth about the 70s. These were exciting times, like if you had butternut scotch flavoured Angel Delight. "I had no idea what posh really was.' Admitting she was "nothing special" at school, Grace says she became focussed on TV fame after seeing people like Paula Yates, the late flamboyant peroxide hostess of Channel 4's pop culture show The Tube, on the box . She says: "There was no one in my family that was in academia, I was brought up by pop culture. "From the earliest part of my life, I looked at the television and looked at Kenny Everett, Top of the Pops and bands like The Human League and ABC. I remember looking and thinking, 'there is a world out there and I want to go there'. "I had a very northern working class childhood, so I was never told I was beautiful, I was never told I was special, but I remember going, 'But I'm going to be famous.' "I wanted to go to university, because I knew that if I went and read English literature then it would be handy as some sort of arts degree that I could then take to London for my glorious plan to become Paula Yates. "I remember by the time I was 14, Paula was raging on The Tube, bringing her sparkle, glamour, the dresses, hanging out with popstars. And then she was also writing a newspaper column with her big hair at the top of the page, firing out the old paperback fiction. "I wanted to be Paula Yates or Janet Street-Porter. Janet was controlling youth TV on BBC2, hanging out with the Pet Shop Boys. She was running TV channels. I was like 'I want that''. And Grace was inspired to move to London after watching her late Cumbrian aunt "jump the working class fence," shocking her family by marrying a Lord. She says: 'One of my aunties, who was every bit as common as me, was called Grace and married a Lord. She was a force of nature. "I was fascinated by her and this idea that one day, you can just suddenly go, 'no. This is who I am'. She would go to London and play Bridge. "I remember at the end of our street in Carlisle, there was a railway track and I knew that London was 235 miles away. It took seven hours by train back then in the 70s, and I wanted to go. "So, as soon as I could, I was coming down on that train and getting that taste for London, and that was what inspired me. 'I love Carlisle. Now I'm in my 50s, I love that place. But when you're 14, all you want to do is be in Soho, potentially snogging John Taylor from Duran Duran." Her move to the smoke paid off. She bagged an editorial assistant's job at women's magazine Marie Claire after she graduated from Stirling University. Other magazine and newspaper jobs followed, she went on to publish more than 20 books and has appeared on countless TV shows, such as The Great British Menu, Very British Problems, Have I Got News For You and had a stint hosting the Radio 4 series The Untold. Now with the big MasterChef job in her sights, she reflects on her mum's cautionary words about her success. "My mother said this until the day that she died about my life. She would look at it all and go, 'You don't half make life hard for yourself, don't you?' 'Because my life would have been probably kind of lovely if I'd stayed in Carlisle. "Her dream was that I would have made a good marriage with somebody from Carlisle. I could even tell you the guys that I should have married, whose dads had building firms, and we could have had a nice house and done it up and had a breakfast bar. "Me and my mother fought like cat and dog from when I was a child. We loved each other fiercely and I nursed her right up until the last, her last dying breath. "But yeah, proper northern, northern working class women, with massive aspirations to leave and do fantastic things." Laughing about her success, so far this year, she quips: "I don't think that I'm a role model or a massively great example for anybody. I do think that I am in a lot of ways a terrible warning, and if anything, just winging it. "I always knew that I'm not the most beautiful girl and I'm not the cleverest girl and I'm not the richest girl. But when I go into a room, I can sometimes raise the frequency…a little bit."
The Sun
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
New MasterChef hosts set to take over from scandal-hit Gregg Wallace & John Torode revealed
SATURDAY Kitchen's Matt Tebbutt is expected to be the new host of MasterChef. And the Sun understands Tebbutt, 51, could be joined by fellow Beeb chef Andi Oliver, 62, who presents Great British Menu. 3 It would debunk claims that the BBC cooking show is to be fronted by two women after the sacking of Gregg Wallace and John Torode. Tebbutt and Oliver would be part of a 'dream line-up', with columnist and broadcaster Grace Dent on the celebrity version. A source said: 'Matt is seen as a really safe pair of hands by the BBC. He has been in the frame for some time and is now being lined up for MasterChef. 'The BBC are keen to bring Andi Oliver on board too. She has been so popular as host of the Great British Menu. "They're not sure if she can commit at this stage because of her schedule with that show but everyone is hoping they can get her on board.' The source added: 'Everyone loves Andi and she would be perfect for the role in many ways. "She is very talented on her own merit but she would also help bring a more diverse look for the show, which is much needed. 'The last thing the show wants is to be slapped with being 'pale, and stale' by a new generation of food lovers.' Dent, 51, brought in to host the upcoming Celebrity MasterChef with Torode, is expected to remain as the host of the spin-off with Tebbutt Our insider added: 'Grace was brilliant on the celebrity spin-off. "Nothing is set in stone yet but this is the dream line-up they're hoping for.' Wallace, 60, was sacked after an investigation found 45 out of 38 allegations about his behaviour were substantiated. One was of 'unwelcome physical contact,' and others included 'inappropriate language'. Torode, 59, was told the BBC were not renewing his contract this week. The Sun yesterday revealed he had been accused of using the N-word twice, once when he was allegedly repeating the lyrics to rapper Kanye West's Gold Digger. The other was claimed to have happened during a conversation with a pal on the BBC show's production team. Torode vehemently denies ever using the N-word.
The Sun
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Major MasterChef update as John Torode and Gregg Wallace's final series WILL still be aired by BBC after their sackings
GREGG Wallace and John Torode's final series of MasterChef will still be aired despite their sackings, The Sun can reveal. The BBC and production company Banijay currently intend to show both the amateur and celebrity editions 'once the dust has settled'. 7 7 7 The latter version features broadcaster and restaurant critic Grace Dent replacing Wallace to co-host with Torode — who was reported to be considering legal action over his axing. But executives were said to have agonised over showing it after a report upheld a complaint that Torode had used racist language. The shows, which have already been filmed, see him appear with contestants including ex-footballer Ashley Cain, who is of Caribbean descent, and Love Islander Uma Jammeh, who has Nigerian heritage. BBC Director-General Tim Davie said earlier in the week that the impact on the show's participants — both celebrities and amateurs — would be a factor in what they chose to do with the episodes. A source said: 'These past eight months have been truly hellish for all concerned. 'The BBC and Banijay have faced a moral and professional dilemma like never before. Obviously Gregg's case was more clear cut, but John being dragged through the mud wasn't what anyone wanted or expected to happen. 'But at the same time, and as a publicly funded body, the BBC has a duty to both provide entertainment as well as fulfil its obligations to cast, crew, contestants and viewers alike. 'If they were to can these two series, hundreds of people — those who appeared or worked on the shows — would be so bitterly disappointed. 'So the feeling at present is that the show, quite literally, must go on — albeit once the dust has settled and all the fuss died down. 'The two presenters have already been cancelled on the Beeb — they don't wish to cancel the series too; neither of which, it must be noted, received any complaints.' Wallace, 60, was officially sacked this week by the BBC and Banijay after an independent investigation was carried out into allegations of bad behaviour on the show between 2005 and 2024. A total of 45 out of 83 allegations against him were upheld. The majority were inappropriate sexual language, although one related to unwanted touching. But the report — the findings of which were released by Banijay — also said that two allegations against two other individuals had also been substantiated. Torode, 59, confirmed on Monday that one of the complaints was against him. He said: 'I am the individual who is alleged to have used racial language on one occasion. 'I have absolutely no recollection of this and I do not believe that it happened.' The Sun also revealed BBC bosses had asked him to resign at the weekend and claim he had mental health issues. He refused to do so. But on Tuesday, the BBC and Banijay said that they were sacking him too. Heartbroken Torode learned he had been fired when he read it on the BBC News website. 7 His representatives were contacted just 11 minutes before the statements from the BBC and Banijay were released. It has been claimed he has been talking to employment lawyers with a view to potentially trying to 'clear his name'. Two weeks ago John was told everything was fine and then this was sprung on him at the end of a seven month investigation. He's still in complete shock A source But sources close to the Aussie-born chef and presenter said it was too soon to consider legal avenues. They said pursuing a claim for unfair dismissal at this stage is 'too much to process', as he is 'still coming to terms with what has happened'. A source added: 'Two weeks ago John was told everything was fine and then this was sprung on him at the end of a seven-month investigation. He's still in complete shock.' Mr Davie had addressed the situation of screening the two series during the Corporation's annual report on Tuesday, while commenting MasterChef still had a future and 'can survive and prosper'. He said: 'We haven't made a decision yet, it's a difficult one, because to your question, those amateur chefs gave a lot of time to take part in the show. 'It means a lot, it can be an enormous break if you come through the show. So, I want to just reflect on that with the team and make a decision and we'll communicate that in due course.' The Sun exclusively revealed last week how chefs in the amateur version of the show, with Wallace and Torode hosting, could take legal action against the BBC if they do not air the shows that they appeared in. Many take time off work, or quit their jobs altogether, to be a part of the show in the hope that it will be a springboard to bigger things. Similarly, many stars see appearing on the celebrity version as a platform for them to reboot their careers or as a stepping stone to getting on even bigger TV shows. As well as Ashley and Uma, the celebrity series of MasterChef already filmed — which is former guest judge Grace Dent's first stint as co-host — also include RuPaul's Drag Race star Ginger Johnson and Blue singer Antony Costa. Meanwhile, The Sun can reveal the third person cited in the Lewis Silkin report into Wallace. A senior producer, who we are choosing not to name, was formally questioned by lawyers after receiving a complaint for swearing in the workplace. He has not been sacked, however, but the matter was addressed and handled internally. A source added: 'It's been yet another headache. 'MasterChef is a high-pressure, high-stakes environment and everyone gets a little over-heated at times. Really, though, who hasn't sworn in the workplace? 'To fire someone for this would have been a worrying and dangerous precedent to set.' A Banijay spokeswoman said: 'We are handling this issue appropriately internally.' 7 7
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
How John Torode's career crumbled in 24 hours: Sacked MasterChef star was 'blindsided' by BBC axe when claims he used 'extremely offensive racist term' were upheld in probe - but insiders suggest there were MORE allegations against him
John Torode 's two-decade-long MasterChef career was over in just 24 hours after he was reportedly blindsided by the BBC and sacked without his knowledge. The celebrity chef, 59, was yesterday dismissed from the cookery show after a report into the behaviour of his co-host Gregg Wallace found he had once used a 'racist term'. It was a sudden fall from grace for the loveable Aussie host who had presented MasterChef since 2005 and was also awarded an MBE for services to food and broadcasting three years ago. Moreover, over the weekend food critic Grace Dent was pipped to become Torode's new permanent co-star following Wallace's suspension and dismissal. The pair had already filmed a series of Celebrity MasterChef together and were reportedly due to start shooting the amateur version of the show in the summer. On Tuesday, the BBC confirmed it had sacked Torode less than a day after he posted on Instagram that he was the subject of an allegation he used racist language. He has denied having any recollection of using the term - and said no one can 'even state the date or year' of when the supposed wrongdoing took place. It is understood, however, Torode, was the subject of multiple allegations but only one was substantiated. Wallace, 60, was suspended from MasterChef in November and sacked last week following a series of allegations against him, including one of unwanted touching. Torode, on the other hand, has continued to host the show and recently filmed a new series of the celebrity version with Dent which was due to go out this autumn. However, it is now thought that series and last year's amateur version hosted by Torode and Wallace may never see the light of day. Claims emerged last night that Torode was not told directly by the BBC that he had been sacked and instead found out after reading it online. A source said according to The Sun: 'John's agent received a call 11 minutes before the statements went out and hadn't had a chance to call him. 'He read about it on the BBC News website.' Meanwhile, Torode posted a lengthy statement on Instagram on Tuesday evening in which he said he was 'seeing and reading' he had been dropped from the show. He wrote: '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. On Monday night Torode took to Instagram to confirm he had been accused of using racist language '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 last few days seem to have prevented that.' Torode said Celebrity MasterChef and two Christmas specials which he recently filmed 'will be my last'. It is not clear if the BBC will air these shows. He went on: 'Personally, I have loved every minute working on MasterChef, but it's time to pass the cutlery to someone else. 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. My tummy will be grateful for a rest after 20 years of eating, but what a joy it has been.' BBC director-general Tim Davie had earlier condemned the 'serious racist term' the Australian-born presenter was alleged to have used. He went on: 'It's really important that we are taking this seriously. It's a reset where we make sure that people are living up to the values we expect across the board.' Asked exactly what Torode said, Davie replied: 'I'm not going to give you the exact term, because I think, frankly it was serious racist term, a serious racist term, which does not get to be acceptable in any way, shape or form.' It comes as a former member of MasterChef's production team told The Telegraph that the show needed to reform. They said: 'The people in power are the problem. They have enabled this behaviour and that needs to change. 'I hope the show undergoes a cultural change now. This has been a long time coming.' A statement from production company Banijay UK released earlier 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.' The Lewis Silkin report, commissioned by Banijay UK, found 45 out of 83 allegations against Wallace were substantiated, alongside two standalone allegations made against other people, including one for using racist language. Torode previously said he had 'no recollection of the incident' and was 'shocked and saddened' by the allegation. A BBC spokesperson said: 'John Torode has identified himself as having an upheld allegation of using racist language against him. 'This allegation - which involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace - was investigated and substantiated by the independent investigation led by the law firm Lewis Silkin. 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.' Davie insisted MasterChef does have a future with the broadcaster beyond 2028, when its current deal runs out, while presenting the corporation's 2024/2025 annual report earlier on Tuesday. Davie said: 'I absolutely think it does (have a future), I think a great programme that's loved by audiences is much bigger than individuals. 'It absolutely can survive and prosper, but we've got to make sure we're in the right place in terms of the culture of the show.' Downing Street has said it 'utterly condemns' any instance of racist language after the allegation made against Torode was upheld. 'When it comes to racism (it) clearly has no place at the BBC or anywhere in society, and we utterly condemn any instances of racist language or abuse in the strongest possible terms,' Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's official spokesman said. 'And it's obviously up to the BBC, who are operationally independent from Government, to take forward any necessary next steps.' The BBC said it has not yet made a final decision on whether to broadcast a series of MasterChef filmed last year with Wallace and Torode. A spokesperson for the corporation said: 'We know this is disappointing for fans of the show and those who took part, and at the appropriate time Banijay UK will consult further with the amateur contestants.' In 2022, Torode was made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to food and charity. He became a familiar face to TV audiences in 1996 as the resident chef on ITV's This Morning, before joining MasterChef alongside Wallace when it was known as MasterChef Goes Large.
