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Graziadaily
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Graziadaily
John Torode, Lisa Faulkner And The 'Cowardly' Letter Explained
Hot on the heels of Gregg Wallace's dismissal from MasterChef after 19 years, his co-host John Torode has also been fired from the role. Wallace was let go following a seven month investigation into mounting misconduct allegations, which reported that 45 of the allegations were upheld. Meanwhile, Torode's contract was ended after one allegation that he used a 'serious racist term' in 2018 was also substantiated. Given that both MasterChef co-hosts have been in the headlines this week, attention has turned to their personal relationships and their friendship too. Wallace has been married to his fourth wife, Anne-Marie Sterpini since 2016 and they have one son together. Torode has been married to fellow TV chef and actress Lisa Faulkner since 2019, and he has four children with his first wife Jessica Torode. Given the recent news, one story about how Faulkner and Torode first got together appears to have been lost in translation, with rumours swirling that they are getting divorced. No, there is no evidence to suggest Faulkner and Torode, who host John and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen together on ITV, are getting divorced or breaking up. The story about his 'cowardly letter' is to do with how they first got together, not them splitting up. Torode and Faulkner met when she competed on Celebrity MasterChef in 2010 and built a friendship that later turned into a relationship. 'He was a judge on a show I loved and I was petrified of him. He was brilliant and gave us all tips so you didn't want to let him down,' she told the Mirror. 'All I could think was, "That sauce hasn't worked." I didn't see anything but food for three months. After I won, we did The Good Food Show and stuff. John and I always got on, but I never thought about me and him.' In 2013, Faulkner told The Daily Mail their friendship had progressed. 'I don't know how things change, but something does. He asked me on a date. We went out for dinner. Then it was slightly different. I'm really, really happy. John and I are having such a nice time but we're taking things slowly. There are lots of other people to consider.' Torode later admitted that his method of reaching out to Lisa via letter was 'cowardly', but it spared him potential embarrassment if she declined his advances. He said, 'I'd separated from my wife [Jessica] which was awful, and I was reluctant to approach Lisa face to face as I didn't fancy the prospect of her saying no, so I wrote her a letter. If I'd got no response, it wouldn't matter. Cowardly? S***, yeah. I'm as cowardly as they get.' It is this remark that has resurfaced without context this week. Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, working across entertainment, TV and news. She has also written for the i, i-D and the New Statesman Media Group and covers all things pop culture for Grazia (treating high and lowbrow with equal respect).
Daily Record
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
John Torode seduced wife Lisa Faulkner with 'cowardly' letter to win her over
John Torode was sacked from BBC's MasterChef yesterday, the show he met his wife Lisa Faulkner on in 2010 whilst they were both married to different partners. Former BBC TV personality John Torode once 'petrified' his wife Lisa Faulkner when they first met on Celebrity MasterChef, before finally seducing her with a 'cowardly' letter two years later. Lisa appeared on the celebrity version of the BBC cooking show in 2010 when she met John - who has now been sacked from the programme following allegations of racism, which he strongly denies - and the pair were married to other people at the time. At the time, both Lisa and John were in other marriages but formed a strong friendship after Lisa blew him away with her cooking skills on MasterChef. Actress Lisa was previously married to former EastEnders actor Chris Coghill, who played Tony King in the soap from 2008 to 2009. While John was married to Jessica, who was formerly known as Jessica Thomas, the pair had two children together before they parted ways in 2011. Despite separating in 2011 their divorce wasn't finalised until 2014, when their union was reportedly dissolved in a matter of seconds at the High Court. When they both split from their previous partners and were single, John asked Lisa out on a dinner date and the pair realised they had great chemistry and hit it off instantly during a shared dinner. Eventually they tied the knot, after John proposed on Christmas in 2018 and they married in October 2019 in a lavish star-studded ceremony at Aynhoe Park, a sprawling 17th century estate in the Northamptonshire countryside. Previously speaking about how they met, Lisa stated: "He was a judge on a show I loved and I was petrified of him. He was brilliant and gave us all tips so you didn't want to let him down." "All I could think was, 'That sauce hasn't worked'. I didn't see anything but food for three months. After I won, we did The Good Food Show and stuff. John and I always got on, but I never thought about me and him," she confessed. Revealing how the pair eventually got together, Lisa told the Daily Mail in 2013 that their friendship changed after John wrote her a letter asking her out on a dinner date. She shared: "John and I were friends. Neither of us thought of it as anything else until..." "I don't know how things change, but something does. He asked me on a date. We went out for dinner. Then it was slightly different. I'm really, really happy. John and I are having such a nice time but we're taking things slowly. There are lots of other people to consider." John later went on to confess that his letter to Lisa was "cowardly," but he did it because it meant there would be no awkwardness for him if she rejected him as it wouldn't be asked face to face. He told the Daily Mail: "I'd separated from my wife [Jessica] which was awful, and I was reluctant to approach Lisa face to face as I didn't fancy the prospect of her saying no, so I wrote her a letter. If I'd got no response, it wouldn't matter. Cowardly? S***, yeah. I'm as cowardly as they get." John previously shared the secret to their happy marriage was a properly made bed. He stated: "A really well-made bed. You spend lots of time in it! Honestly, the bedroom – having that sanctuary of a place to go to, I think that's really important. And nice towels... Looking after yourself is as important as looking after each other."
The Irish Sun
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
How John Torode seduced Masterchef champ Lisa Faulkner with letter after brutal split…& ‘secret' to their happy marriage
STRAIGHT-TALKING TV chef John Torode stood by his wife when she made an allegation against his shamed co-star Gregg Wallace - and now it's her turn to support him. Last December actress Advertisement 13 The loved up couple are supporting each other amid the Masterchef scandal Credit: Getty Images 13 Lisa Faulkner and John Torode on their wedding day in 2019 13 Shamed Gregg Wallace unfollowed Lisa and John after they failed to speak out in his defence (pictured together in 2010 after Lisa won Celebrity Masterchef) Credit: Rex At the time insiders claimed Wallace was devastated that his on-screen partner did not publicly speak out to support him - and he un-followed the couple on Instagram as the rift deepened. Today it's emerged John, 59, was asked to quit the hugely popular BBC cooking show after he was accused of making a racist remark. The calls for his resignation came as a report upheld 45 allegations of inappropriate behaviour against Wallace, who was fired last week following a seven month investigation. The pair have worked side by side for almost 20 years, but now it's rumoured Wallace will be replaced by food critic Advertisement READ MORE FEATURES It has been a tough time on and off screen for Australian-born John, whose colourful love life has not always been smooth sailing either. He has been married three times, and has four children. John shares sons Casper and Marselle with his first wife Angela, but they very much shy away from the spotlight. He is also dad to Lou and Jonah from his second marriage to Jessica Thomas, with whom he tied the knot in 2000. Advertisement Most read in Celebrity When Lisa appeared as a contestant on Celebrity Masterchef they were both married to other people, and initially their relationship was purely platonic. Lisa was still married to actor But in 2011, a year after she was crowned Masterchef champion, Lisa and Chris decided to separate - the same year that John and Jessica also split. Last year Lisa opened up about the "very dark time" in her life when she and Chris, who divorced in 2014, went through three rounds of failed IVF and suffered an ectopic pregnancy. Advertisement Both Torode and Lisa have repeatedly denied there was any initial attraction between them, insisting they were just good friends at first. Lisa said: "He was a judge on a show I loved and I was petrified of him. "He was brilliant and gave us all tips so you didn't want to let him down. All I could think was, 'That sauce hasn't worked'. He was a judge on a show I loved and I was petrified of him Lisa Faulkner "I didn't see anything but food for three months. After I won, we did The Good Food Show and stuff. Advertisement "John and I always got on, but I never thought about me and him." Lisa claimed she and John actually met for the first time on This Morning almost 20 years earlier, when Lisa was a guest and John was cooking, but said he didn't remember. 'He didn't remember me at all. He used to say: 'Oh, all right, yeah,' like he didn't believe me," Lisa said. "And then he did an interview on This Morning where they showed the clip and he came home and said, 'I did meet you!' And I went, 'I know, I did tell you.' Advertisement 'I remembered it so well. It's really funny. He said he was nervous because it was his first time on telly. I thought he just seemed really arrogant.' Love letter 13 Lisa married EastEnders star Chris Coghill in 2005 Credit: Matrix 13 Lisa and Chris with their adopted daughter Billie in 2009 Credit: Rex Features 13 Lisa and John met when she was crowned Celebrity MasterChef winner in 2010 Credit: PA:Press Association Advertisement 13 John with his second wife Jessica and their children Jonah and Lou in 2010 Credit: Rex Features Their simmering friendship eventually blossomed into romance when, newly single, John sent Lisa a romantic handwritten letter inviting her out for dinner. "Neither of us thought of it as anything else until... I don't know how things change, but something does," Lisa admitted at the time. "He asked me on a date. We went out for dinner. Then it was slightly different. Advertisement "I'm really, really happy. John and I are having such a nice time but we're taking things slowly. There are lots of other people to consider." Lisa previously told Good Housekeeping they took things really slowly because of Billie, and "also because I'd been through the end of a marriage". I'm really, really happy. John and I are having such a nice time but we're taking things slowly. There are lots of other people to consider Lisa Faulkner "We had a child and I felt I'd failed in something I never wanted to fail at," she explained. "I never give up on anything, so when you do have to accept that something didn't work, starting a new relationship is a big leap of faith." Torode has since confessed he sent Lisa the letter because he feared she might turn him down and wanted to avoid any awkwardness. Advertisement He explained: "I'd separated from my wife [Jessica] which was awful, and I was reluctant to approach Lisa face to face as I didn't fancy the prospect of her saying no, so I wrote her a letter. "If I'd got no response, it wouldn't matter. Cowardly? S***, yeah. I'm as cowardly as they get." Secret to happy marriage 13 Torode and Lisa have been happily married since 2019 Credit: Instagram 13 John and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen is now in its tenth series Credit: PA Advertisement Although John and Jessica called it quits in 2011, their divorce was not finalised until 2014. He proposed to Lisa on Christmas Day in 2018 and they married in October 2019 in a lavish star-studded ceremony at Aynhoe Park, a sprawling 17th century estate in the Northamptonshire countryside. Guests included showbiz pals Amanda Holden, Angela Griffin and Tamzin Outhwaite - as well as Gregg Wallace and his wife Anne-Marie. Asked the secret to their happy marriage, Torode said it all comes down to the bedroom. Advertisement "A really well-made bed," he joked. "You spend lots of time in it! "Honestly, the bedroom – having that sanctuary of a place to go to, I think that's really important. "And nice towels. Looking after yourself is as important as looking after each other." But Lisa says their happy marriage is all down to the sizzling chemistry between them. Advertisement "We really like and fancy each other,' Lisa revealed in an interview. We really like and fancy each other Lisa Faulkner "What I love about being married is that it's about being a partnership. John and I are a good team. We know how to look after each other." Earlier this month John explained how their happy marriage has been constantly evolving over the six years since their wedding. He said: 'Lisa and I learn from each other all the time. As we have been cooking and working together for many years, I am sure things have changed, but as it's been a constant and consistent journey, it's not something that we feel is noticeable. Advertisement "What is evident is that we love cooking, food and travel as much as, if not more than, we did when we first met." Greg Wallace scandal Gregg Wallace has today Star faces probe after allegedly making sexual remarks to 13 colleagues BBC Newsnight presenter and 2011 contestant Kirsty Wark says Wallace told 'sexualised' jokes while filming Gregg accused of talking openly about his sex life, taking his top off in front of a young staffer staffer and telling another he wasn't wearing any pants Previous MasterChef episodes presented by scandal-hit Gregg still on iPlayer MasterChef star BBC Lisa added: "We're always learning from each other. We often do things differently, so I know I'm always learning something new from John, and I'm sure he would say the same." The couple present John and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen on ITV, now in its tenth series, with extra episodes planned for Christmas, and they have published several bestselling books. They often speak about their playful banter, their support for each other's careers, and the simple pleasure of cooking and eating together. Advertisement "We just get on, we laugh a lot," Lisa said. 'He's very romantic. We both are. We look after each other. If he's out before me in the morning, he'll leave a cup with a teabag in by the kettle and a note saying, 'I love you.' He's very romantic. We both are. We look after each other Lisa Faulkner "I do the same – I put notes in his bag when he goes away. And he makes me the most amazing food. That's so romantic. "It's the little things that are important – I love it when we cook for each other. Food is our thing, it's how we show that we love each other.' Advertisement Pals reckon Lisa has had a positive impact on John, making him "less aggressive". She previously told "But I think he has got less… aggressive, maybe. He's definitely softened. "I went to lunch the other day and somebody said, 'Oh my gosh, you've completely turned him around. He was so moody on MasterChef. He was always so grumpy and he's just lovely now.' Advertisement "I went: 'OK, I'll take all the credit'.' 13 The couple on this morning together earlier this month Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 13 Torode with his son Jonah from his second marriage Credit: Instagram 13 Torode posted snaps of daughter Lou as she celebrated her 18th birthday Credit: Instagram Advertisement 13 Casper, Torode's lookalike son from his marriage to first wife Angela Credit: Instagram
