Jeremy Clarkson, 65, makes feelings clear on John Torode BBC sacking as he shares concern over axe: ‘I’m worried’
Jeremy Clarkson has delivered his verdict on the news that the BBC wouldn’t be renewing MasterChef host John Torode’s contract.
The decision came following an upheld allegation that he used “an extremely offensive racist term” in the workplace in 2018.
The 59-year-old chef, who has co-hosted the cooking programme since its relaunch in 2005, said he was “shocked and saddened” by the allegation and has “no recollection of the incident”.
The finding emerged during an independent investigation by law firm Lewis Silkin into his co-presenter Gregg Wallace’s behaviour.
The BBC’s decision has sparked a debate among fans and famous faces alike, with the likes of Loose Women’s Jane Moore and former Celebrity MasterChef star Christine Hamilton just two vocal critics.
Now, Clarkson has waded into the ongoing discussion, drawing comparisons with his days on Top Gear in which he, Richard Hammond, and James May would often irk their bosses at the corporation.
“Funny isn’t it how Top Gear was always seen as the bad boy of the BBC,” Clarkson remarked. “Every week, we’d be in the papers for doing something wrong or saying something inappropriate.
“And as a result, we were always being carpeted by bosses who told us to sit up straight and clean our teeth, and behave ourselves.
“Ha. It now turns out that compared to every other show on the Beeb, we were saints.”
Despite appearing to enjoy the fact that he and his Top Gear co-hosts weren’t as troublesome as reports would’ve led fans to believe, he did concede that Torode’s sacking was cause for concern.
He went on: “That said, I am a bit worried about this John Torode chap from MasterChef.
“Because he seems to have been sacked for an offence, even though no one can quite say what the offence was.”
The Clarkson’s Farm star continued in his latest column for The Sun: “He’s been told that at a private party seven or eight years ago, he sang a song which someone thought was racist and that as a result, he has to go.”
Highlighting why the incident has left Clarkson scratching his head, he questioned: “Who reported him? Dunno. Was there any context? No one’s saying.”
Clarkson’s “worry” echoes that of the aforementioned Moore, who claimed Torode was being treated “worse than a serial killer“, given he had no recollection of the incident and that nobody could provide the evidence directly to him to refute.
Torode claimed he discovered his dismissal through media reports, stating on Instagram: “Although I haven’t heard from anyone at the BBC or Banijay – I am seeing and reading that I’ve been ‘sacked’ from MasterChef.”
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Since his dismissal, it has since been alleged that he used the N-word twice, with sources claiming one incident involved singing along to Kanye West’s Gold Digger at an after-work gathering six or seven years ago.
BBC News understands the upheld complaint relates to a separate incident in 2018 when he allegedly used the racial slur on set, directed at a member of staff.
Richard Osman claimed on The Rest is Entertainment podcast that Torode used “probably the worst racial slur there is”, adding: “They found evidence that they were happy with, that was true. He is saying, ‘I definitely didn’t do it, I certainly can’t remember it.’ But that one was upheld.”
BBC director-general Tim Davie confirmed it was “a serious racist term, which does not get to be acceptable in any way, shape or form”.
In the aftermath of the ruling, Torode has withdrawn from the Seaham Food Festival scheduled for August, with Durham County Council confirming he had “decided to take some time out” following the controversy.
BBC News reports that nine complaints were made against Torode during the investigation, including allegations of racist language, abusive language towards junior production staff, and sexual language, though only the racist language complaint was substantiated.
Former Celebrity MasterChef contestant Aasmah Mir criticised Torode on Good Morning Britain for failing to intervene when Wallace allegedly made inappropriate comments to her in 2017.
The crisis has left MasterChef without either of its long-standing presenters, with Wallace having been sacked earlier following 45 upheld complaints against him.
Questions remain about the fate of already-filmed episodes, with Celebrity MasterChef featuring Torode and Grace Dent, plus two Christmas specials, completed but not yet aired.
Osman suggested the BBC and Banijay want to broadcast the series after consulting contestants who “would be gutted if this doesn’t go out”.
Davie insisted MasterChef “absolutely” has a future and is “bigger than individuals”, with the show already advertising for production staff for its next series starting in August.
However, some of Wallace’s accusers have opposed airing the episodes, with one saying it would “make a mockery” of those who spoke out.