Latest news with #Torode
Metro
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
John Torode reveals true feelings about MasterChef after Gregg Wallace exit
John Torode has shared a positive message about filming MasterChef with his new co-host after Gregg Wallace's exit. Last year, it was confirmed Wallace was stepping away from the role amid an external review into historical allegations of misconduct. He faced accusations of making 'inappropriate sexual jokes' and lewd comments on set, asking for the phone numbers of female members of production staff, and undressing in front of and standing 'too close' to women working on his shows. Wallace and his lawyers fiercely denied the allegations, saying 'it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature'. He has since returned to social media after a months-long break, given one interview and claimed he has nothing more to add but 'needs space to heal and to be with the people who know who I really am'. Following the scandal, MasterChef: The Professionals continued to air last year, but the two Christmas specials were pulled. It was confirmed Grace Dent would be replacing Wallace on Celebrity MasterChef this year, though a replacement for MasterChef has yet to be announced. As filming of the new series with I'm A Celebrity star Dent is underway, Torode has given a telling remark at the Fortnum & Masons Food and Drink Awards at the Royal Exchange. The 59-year-old told The Mail: 'We've been filming MasterChef, which has been great and that's been brilliant. 'We've moved to Birmingham and me and Grace are having a wonderful time. She's doing a great job. So, it's onwards and upwards.' Speaking about remaining optimistic after the scandal, he added: 'The thing is that if you walk outside and the sun's shining, the sky is blue, and you can hear a bird. 'You're still alive, so that's a really good perspective to have.' After it was announced that Dent would be replacing Wallace, both Torode and his wife Lisa Faulkner threw their support behind her. She also said in a statement: 'I've been watching MasterChef since I was a girl sitting with my dad on the sofa. My whole family watches it. It's all about uncovering and championing talent – and to have ended up in this position, is more than a dream to me. 'I'm so excited that I can't eat, which is severely detrimental to a restaurant critic. I feel very lucky to be stepping in for the next Celebrity MasterChef. I can't wait to meet the fresh celebrity faces for 2025.' Torode, who has presented MasterChef since 2005 alongside Wallace, added: 'I have loved working with Grace on MasterChef over the years. She has been an excellent guest, an inspiring critic and also set some incredible challenges. 'Expertise is what MasterChef is all about, from the contestants to our wonderful production team, to us as judges. 'The love of food, the love of MasterChef, and that unquestionable expertise, makes Grace the perfect person to step in alongside me as judge for the forthcoming Celebrity MasterChef series.' He had previously put out a statement over the allegations against Wallace, saying he would not comment further while the investigation continued, but stressed how much he loves MasterChef. 'I love my job, and I love MasterChef. I love being part of it and will continue to be part of it,' he said. MasterChef was thrown into turmoil last year when it was alleged Wallace groped three people in different incidents, that he 'mimicked sex acts' and walked around the studio almost 'completely naked', with more than 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year-period making complaints. It was also claimed that he sexually harassed his ghost-writer with 'thigh rubs', while several women spoke out, including Ulrika Jonsson and Kirsty Wark. Wallace and his lawyers have fiercely denied the allegations, saying 'it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature'. Following the first of the accusations, Wallace put out a statement on social media claiming they come from 'middle-class women of a certain age'. After receiving immense backlash, including from the likes of Lorraine Kelly and Sir Keir Starmer who called them 'inappropriate and misogynistic', he later apologised, saying: 'I want to apologise for any offence that I caused with my post yesterday and any upset I may have caused to a lot of people. I wasn't in a good head space when I posted it. 'I've been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion, I felt very alone, under siege when I posted it. 'It's obvious to me I need to take some time out now while this investigation is underway. 'I hope you understand and I do hope that you will accept this apology.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Amid rumours of who will be replacing Wallace on the regular series of MasterChef, several names have been thrown into the mix including Saturday Kitchen star Matt Tebbutt. 'Matt rose to the challenge of coming into Saturday Kitchen after it was previously hosted by another big name in the world of food, James Martin,' a source said. 'He managed the feat of making it his own and almost making viewers forget who his predecessor was – now Beeb bosses, and the show producers Banijay, will be hoping he can work the same magic on MasterChef.' The insider told The Sun that 'nothing is set in stone' at the moment, and the investigations into Wallace's behaviour are yet to reach a final verdict. View More » 'But since MasterChef is such a huge show with a massive following, the Beeb are keen to have everything lined up ready,' they added. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: MasterChef star Jock Zonfrillo's widow reveals his heartbreaking final journal entry MORE: Gregg Wallace 'thought about suicide all the time' after scandal
Daily Mirror
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
MasterChef's John Torode makes telling remark hinting at true relationship with Gregg Wallace
John Torode appears to be moving on swiftly following Gregg Wallace's dramatic exit from MasterChef, as he sings the praises of his new co-host Grace Dent, while staying tight-lipped on his former presenting partner of nearly 20 years. Speaking at the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards, the 59-year-old chef made a telling remark that hints at the true nature of his off-camera relationship with Wallace, who was quietly dropped from the show amid mounting allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour. Torode told the Mail: "We've been filming MasterChef, which has been great and that's been brilliant. "We've moved to Birmingham and me and Grace are having a wonderful time. She's doing a great job. So, it's onwards and upwards." His glowing endorsement of his new co-star also seemed to draw a firm line under the past. There was no mention of Wallace, who Torode had worked with since 2005. Wallace's departure from the show in November came under a cloud of serious accusations, including claims he made explicit sexual jokes, shared intimate details of his sex life with colleagues, and exposed himself on set wearing nothing but a sock. The BBC cancelled two Christmas specials and launched an internal investigation into his conduct through production company Banijay, after at least 13 formal complaints emerged across 17 years. Some of these complaints were made by former MasterChef contestants and high-profile guests. While Wallace has denied any behaviour amounting to sexual harassment, his career with MasterChef appears to be over, and Torode seems determined to focus on the future. This month it was revealed that Grace Dent had already been invited to Torode's home, in what many saw as a thinly veiled snub. Wallace and Torode never achieved this level of closeness, despite fronting one of the BBC's most successful franchises together for nearly two decades. Speaking at the Ideal Home Show, Torode's wife Lisa Faulkner confirmed: 'She [Grace] came over for tea and I was really excited she has been in my house. I was like 'I love you'. We made tea and scones, cheese scones, and sticky toffee madeleines.' By contrast, Torode and Wallace never socialised off-screen. In an interview that has now resurfaced from 2017, Torode admitted, 'We've never been friends. We've not been to each other's houses… He's so OCD, he wouldn't know what to do. He'd build it up in his mind for three days, and probably make himself quite sick, then he'd have an argument with his wife and not turn up.' Torode has not publicly commented on the investigation into Wallace's behaviour, but his Instagram activity around the time of the revelations suggested he was distancing himself from the situation entirely. Now MasterChef has left its London base after two decades, and relocated to Birmingham's former Banana Warehouse on Fazeley Street, where the new judging duo have reportedly hit the ground running. Torode called the move 'brilliant' and has described working with Dent as a 'wonderful time', which stands out in comparison to his former indifference towards Wallace. Dent, 51, has been a familiar face on MasterChef for over a decade after regularly appearing as a guest critic. She even competed in the Battle of the Critics special last year. In a statement she made to the BBC after being selected as one of the new show hosts, she said: 'It's more than a dream to me… I feel very lucky to be stepping in.' Torode echoed the sentiment, saying: 'She has been an excellent guest, an inspiring critic and also set some incredible challenges. The love of food, the love of MasterChef, and that unquestionable expertise, makes Grace the perfect person to step in alongside me.'
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gregg Wallace is dealt huge snub as MasterChef star John Torode invites his new co-host Grace Dent to his home
MasterChef star John Torode has dealt Gregg Wallace a huge snub by inviting new co-host Grace Dent to his home. The former presenting duo have famously never visited each other's houses, despite fronting the BBC1 series together for nearly 20 years, but Dent has already been invited to Torode's house for tea within weeks of her being confirmed as the show's latest presenter. Torode's wife Lisa Faulkner revealed that she and the Aussie chef entertained Dent at their North London home where the former Holby City actress tested out the pair's fledgling judging chemistry. The food critic, 51, was announced by the BBC as Wallace's replacement in December after he was axed due to a series of complaints about his alleged behaviour. Faulkner, 53, said: 'She came over for tea and I was really excited she has been in my house. I was like "I love you." 'We made Tea and scones, cheese scones, and sticky toffee madeleines. 'She's a joy and I think the two of them will work really well together, in fact I know they will work really well together because I let them do a bit of judging when they were together.' Speaking at the Ideal Home Show, she added: 'I think she will be absolutely brilliant. I'm a massive fan of Grace for years. 'I used to get the Guardian when she did the restaurant reviews, this was years ago, and I've loved her writing, 'I've read her books, I think she's ace.' Torode, who was Best Man at Wallace's wedding, has yet to speak in detail about his former co-host after he stepped away from MasterChef in November due to allegations over his misconduct. He released a statement on Instagram in December saying he found the reports into Wallace's alleged behaviour 'truly upsetting' and the 'thought of anyone who has appeared on our show not having a brilliant experience is awful to hear'. Torode, 59, added: 'I love my job, and I love MasterChef. I love being part of it and will continue to be part of it.' Speaking to The Sun in 2021, Torode and Wallace revealed that despite their closeness on screen, they rarely socialise together and admitted they had never been to each other's houses. Wallace, 60, said: 'We've got things absolutely right. Torode's wife Lisa Faulkner (pictured) revealed that she and the Aussie chef entertained Dent at their North London home where the former Holby City actress tested out the pair's fledgling judging chemistry 'We don't feel the need to change it, everyone else expects us to be as close outside of work but we need to give each other space. 'We are so close. If I had the slightest issue with anything I would call John. 'But I have no idea where he lives.' Dent previously appeared as a regular guest on MasterChef for over a decade and even competed on last year's Battle of the Critics. After being announced as the new co-judge for the new series, she said: 'I've been watching MasterChef since I was a girl sitting with my dad on the sofa. My whole family watches it. It's all about uncovering and championing talent – and to have ended up in this position, is more than a dream to me. 'I'm so excited that I can't eat, which is severely detrimental to a restaurant critic. I feel very lucky to be stepping in for the next Celebrity MasterChef. I can't wait to meet the fresh celebrity faces for 2025.' Torode saie: 'I have loved working with Grace on MasterChef over the years. She has been an excellent guest, an inspiring critic and also set some incredible challenge.' He continued: 'Expertise is what MasterChef is all about, from the contestants to our wonderful production team, to us as judges. 'The love of food, the love of MasterChef, and that unquestionable expertise, makes Grace the perfect person to step in alongside me as judge for the forthcoming Celebrity MasterChef series.' Wallace has faced a series of complaints about his alleged behaviour, including claims he made inappropriate sexual jokes, shared intimate details of his sex life and even walked around set naked except for a sock on his penis. He also reportedly would take off his clothes in front of women on set, flirt with members of staff and has been accused of groping two crew members. At least 13 women have made formal complaints about Wallace across five shows over a 17-year period, with more describing inappropriate experiences on social media since the scandal broke. His lawyers have previously denied any allegations that he has engaged in behaviour that amounts to sexual harassment. The BBC cancelled two planned Christmas specials of MasterChef amid the publicity storm surrounding the presenter, as the show's producers Banijay began an investigation.
