BBC confirms John Torode’s MasterChef contract ‘won’t be renewed’ amid Gregg Wallace scandal
It has been confirmed John Torode’s MasterChef contract will not be renewed.
The BBC and production company Banjay announced the news amid the fallout of the Gregg Wallace scandal.
The axe comes after it emerged that an allegation against Torode for using racist language was upheld.
Speaking on Monday, Torode said he had “no recollection” on the incident, and that he did “not believe that it happened”.
However, it has now been confirmed he has also been dismissed from the programme.
The latest blow to the popular cooking show comes after more than 40 accusations were made for misconduct against Wallace, who was officially removed from the show last week.
Torode announced on Instagram on Monday evening he had “no recollection of the incident” and was “shocked and saddened” by the allegation.
BBC Chair Samir Shah revealed that several members of staff have been dismissed following an independent review of workplace culture commissioned by the BBC.
“This is the first time we’re going to say this publicly, several people have been dismissed as a result,” Shah announced during the Annual Report briefing.
He noted that “since April more staff have been confident to step forward and several people have been dismissed as a result.”
Shah acknowledged there remain pockets within the broadcaster where “powerful individuals” can still “make life for their colleagues unbearable.”
The BBC boss emphasised that he and the leadership team would not “tolerate behaviour that is not in line with our values,” adding: “There is no place in, or on the BBC, for those who are not prepared to live by our values, whoever they are.”
The statement, shared to Torode’s Instagram page, marked the first time the Australian chef broke his silence since the probe into his co-star.
“Following publication of the Executive Summary of the Investigation into Gregg Wallace while working on Masterchef, I am aware of speculation that I am one of the two other individuals against whom an allegation has been upheld,” he began.
“For the sake of transparency, I confirm that I am the individual who is alleged to have used racial language on one occasion.
“The allegation is that I did so sometime in 2018 or 2019, in a social situation, and that the person I was speaking with did not believe that it was intended in a malicious way and that I apologised immediately afterwards.”
More to follow