Latest news with #culinarycontest
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
With TWO disgraced presenters, BBC decision to air MasterChef is an insult to all of us and a slap in the face to everyone who has been belittled and abused on the show, says CHRISTOPHER STEVENS
How bad do things have to get before the BBC does the right thing and bins MasterChef? The return of the long-running culinary contest, after the sacking of its disgraced presenters Gregg Wallace and John Torode, is an insult to licence-payers and a slap in the face for all the participants and crew who have been belittled and abused over the years. Series 21 is to air in full, supposedly because cancelling it would be unfair to this year's 60 contestants – even though one of them, Sarah Shafi, called for it to be axed. Instead, she was edited out of the show, a move that left her 'flabbergasted'. After watching the first episode, I'm flabbergasted too. It's as though the production company, Banijay, has watched the playbacks and thought: 'Don't panic! There's at least an hour of footage where Gregg has his trousers on and John says nothing racist. We're good to go!' If you've sidestepped the furore leading up to this broadcast, you might suppose I'm being facetious. But the extraordinary truth is that, following multiple complaints, Banijay carried out an investigation into Wallace's behaviour. The majority of the 83 allegations against him related to 'inappropriate' sexual language and humour – though that raises another question of whether the producers think sexual remarks and jokes are ever appropriate on a TV set. Perhaps they don't understand that 'food porn' has nothing to do with nudity. Wallace certainly didn't. Of the 45 complaints against him upheld, one related to 'unwelcome physical contact' and three to being 'in a state of undress'. In the course of their enquiries, Banijay also learned that Torode had used a racist slur. Despite protesting their innocence, both men were dropped from the show... and yet, here we are, with Wallace and Torode once again the judges. I do not believe for a second that BBC executives feel compelled to air the series as a favour to contestants, as the Corporation has suggested. The TV industry is not that sentimental. It's much more likely to be about money. The Beeb has paid for MasterChef and now it wants its pound of flesh, lightly seared and served on a bed of herby potatoes with a scatter of grated walnuts. Even now, it is entirely within the BBC's power to cancel the series. The Government would certainly support that, as would its union paymasters. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says she won't be watching. Downing Street has welcomed the BBC's decision to 'sever ties' with Wallace. And the broadcasting union Bectu has said the presenters 'should not be rewarded with prime-time coverage'. There is strong precedent, too. BBC One removed episodes of The Repair Shop from its schedule last year after presenter Jay Blades was charged with coercive and controlling behaviour against his estranged wife. Series 21 is to air in full, supposedly because cancelling it would be unfair to this year's 60 contestants – even though one of them called for it to be axed The majority of the 83 allegations against Wallace related to 'inappropriate' sexual language and humour – though that raises another question of whether the producers think sexual remarks and jokes are ever appropriate on a TV set Yet dozens remain on iPlayer, even though Blades faced two much more serious charges of rape this week. Whether he will be edited out of old episodes if found guilty, the BBC has not said. It has to be emphasised, of course, that neither Wallace nor Torode has faced a police investigation, much less criminal charges. Yet, strict action has been taken over other controversies. In 2020, Sky chiefs were horrified to realise a heavily tattooed contestant on a forthcoming reality show was actually flaunting neo-Nazi symbols. It was only when trailers for woodworking competition, The Chop, featured contestant Darren Lumsden that social media users pointed out that elements of his body art were coded displays of support for Adolf Hitler and white supremacy. Sky could have fudged the issue. Instead, they did the right thing. The Chop got the chop. The BBC lacks the common sense to follow suit. Its solution is to sieve out all but the blandest moments featuring Wallace and Torode. We see them asking innocuous questions about dishes and then grinning silently at the answers. Almost all his cheesy banter has gone. As a result, the hour is as tepid and flavourless as the water strained from a pan of spaghetti. The judges might as well be a pair of AI robots. And if MasterChef is to continue, perhaps that would be the Beeb's safest option.
Daily Mail
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The new Hell's Kitchen? ITV announces 'absolutely unmissable' new cooking competition hosted by Olivia Attwood - with a scintillating twist
ITV has just announced an 'absolutely unmissable' new cooking competition hosted by Love Island star Olivia Attwood - and it has a surprising twist. Tense new series The Heat will take place under the sizzling Spanish sun - tracking ten young chefs as they work under multi Michelin Star chef Jean-Christophe Novelli. The world-rated culinary master is opening a summer restaurant at the glamorous Port Vell Marina, and is on a mission to find the rising star among the keen professionals. But villa bombshell Olivia will not be straying too far from her roots as the camera closely follows the chefs both in the kitchen and behind the scenes - offering a glimpse into their personal lives. In a new reality format, viewers with a taste for the salacious will watch along as the staff develop close blonds, with dating, socialising and drama on the cards. The cooking show will blend the contestants' personal and professional lives, as the young hopefuls quickly realise the precariousness of their position in the fierce culinary contest. They will consistently battle in a bid to climb the kitchen ranks - and promotions, demotions, power plays, sackings and shock decisions throughout the series will keep them on their toes. 'It is such an honour to host this brand-new format for ITV2 and ITVX,' host Olivia said. 'Being at the helm of something this fresh and exciting is a total pinch-me moment.' And chef Jean-Christophe, known for his drive and intensity in the kitchen, said he was equally 'thrilled' to join the exciting new series. 'I'll be using my passion and unique teaching style to push these young chefs to dig deep, stay sharp and prove they have what it takes to grow, evolve, and make their mark,' he said. His years of experience will prove life-changing for the show's contestants, and Jean-Christophe will mentor the next generation of culinary talent. 'I'll mentor them to use all five senses together and put it all on the plate, the right way,' he continued. 'It's going to be a wild ride, and I know we'll discover some true culinary stars along the way. I'm ready. Let's do this. Allez, Allez - bon appétit!' Filming is already underway in Barcelona, and ITV's Paul Mortimer said, 'The Heat is the perfect fusion of a high-stakes cooking show with real-life drama. 'And with the fantastic Olivia at the forefront alongside the renowned Jean-Christophe, it's shaping up to be a new reality obsession for our younger viewers.' It's not the first of exciting developments for Olivia, who came onto our screens in 2017 as a Love Island contestant. Since then, she has soared in the media world, and recently began her role as a This Morning host. The 34-year-old kicked off her hosting debut with a brutal comment to her co-star Dermot O'Leary on Friday -which left the studio in stitches. Olivia couldn't help but make a cheeky comment about Dermot's height seconds after she went on air for the first time. Dermot began by telling viewers: 'Well hello. Welcome to your Friday's This Morning. Look who has joined us today. It's only the lovely Olivia Attwood everyone!' With 5'11" Olivia towering over 5'9" Dermot, she replied: 'Thanks guys! This is not a drill. This is happening!' before cheekily adding 'I want you to know, I did go for a smaller heel.' Dermot then added: 'You could have worn a flat! That's all I'm saying... Early feedback,' to which Olivia replied: 'I couldn't actually!' The former X Factor presenter then went on his tip toes to get to the same height as his co-host.
Telegraph
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The BBC has finally got something right in broadcasting unseen MasterChef
The BBC has made a right dog's dinner of the MasterChef saga, but its decision to broadcast the culinary contest's latest series after all is the right one. In the 'scrap it or screen it?' debate, screening it won out. It's the only wise move that the BBC has made during the whole sorry fiasco. A spiralling crisis in recent months has seen both the hit programme's judges-cum-presenters, Gregg Wallace and John Torode, exit through the studio kitchen's swing doors, following upheld complaints of inappropriate sexualised language and actions, and use of an offensive racial term respectively. Multiple victims came forward. Inquiries were launched. Self-pitying social media responses were posted. It seemed like every day, there was another twist in this tawdry tale. Throughout, the BBC has hardly covered itself in glory. It took far too long – years, in fact – to tackle Wallace's misconduct, so keen was it to keep the lucrative show on the road. It ignored duty of care concerns and brushed problems under the carpet, despite his unsavoury antics being an open secret. When scandal finally engulfed the franchise, executives prevaricated, panicked and hung Torode out to dry for what was – at least compared to the litany of charges against his co-host – a relatively minor misdemeanour. Now, though, the right conclusion has been reached. Despite controversy continuing to swirl around the disgraced duo, the BBC has announced that it will air the series filmed last autumn, before the allegations became public and the pair were sacked. This is only fair. Canning the entire run would have been an injustice. An over-correction which punished the wrong people. Many TV contests bill themselves as 'life-changing' but MasterChef genuinely is. Many of its amateur alumni go on to work in Michelin-starred kitchens, write recipe books or open their own restaurants. Winning the competition just about guarantees that gifted cooks can quit their day jobs and forge a new career in food. The latest cohort gave up months of their lives but have been left in limbo. It would have been a huge shame if their hard work had been squandered and their hopes dashed through no fault of their own. Beneath the slick editing and flashy trimmings, the show is about the contestants – watching their skills improve, their confidence blossom, their creativity come to the fore. The word 'journey' is flogged to within an inch of its life on such series but MasterChef traced that trajectory more than most. The show has always been bigger than its bellowing blokey figureheads who, it turns out, didn't even like each other very much. It's about the compellingly addictive, all-conquering format, which has been rolled out across 60 countries and watched by 300m viewers worldwide. Most of all, it's about the contestants. Not the ghastly greengrocer and the gaffe-prone Aussie but the talented amateurs whose stories viewers love to follow. Their series was completed and delivered to the BBC by production company Banijay months ago. It has been gathering dust on a shelf ever since, due to the bad behaviour of two individuals. At least it will soon see the light of day. The publicity alone of appearing on the show is priceless to those trying to succeed in the unforgiving hospitality business. Now that a launch date has been confirmed, Banijay ought to re-edit the 24-part series judiciously, to keep Torode and especially Wallace's contributions to a minimum. Any of the latter's clumsy attempts at 'banter' are now cast in a depressing new light and should be consigned to the cutting-room floor. It will be instructive to see if any disclaimers or trigger warnings are aired at the beginning and end of each episode. News of the long-awaited decision has also given the BBC and Banijay some breathing space until autumn. Producers now need to get busy. They must smartly set about the task of wiping the slate clean, recruiting new judges and giving the programme a reset. In the meantime, viewers should pop a TV dinner on Wednesday 6 August in their diaries. Six months after it was originally due to air, MasterChef will return to BBC One and iPlayer. It promises to hold a sort of grim fascination. At least for the contestants, their moment in the spotlight will come at last.
