John Torode Breaks Silence After Being ‘Sacked’ from MasterChef

John Torode has been removed as a presenter of MasterChef after an allegation that he used what was described as “an extremely offensive racist term”.

In a statement posted to Instagram, John said he had “no recollection” of the alleged incident and expressed disappointment that he wasn’t given a chance to have a say in how he exited the long-running BBC cooking show.

Production company Banijay has confirmed that both it and the BBC agreed not to renew his contract.

This development marks another major blow to the flagship series, which has been rocked by scandal after co-host Gregg Wallace was also sacked last week following multiple allegations, which he denis.

Speaking to BBC News, BBC Director General Tim Davie said the allegation against John was serious and that the term used “does not get to be acceptable in any way shape or form”. He added, “We’ve drawn a line in the sand.”

John Torode responds

In his statement, John insisted he had not been contacted directly by the BBC or Banijay, saying, “I repeat that I have no recollection of what I’m accused of. The enquiry could not even state the date or year of when I am meant to have said something wrong.”

He confirmed that his recent work on Celebrity MasterChef and two upcoming Christmas specials will be his last appearances on the show.

“Personally, I have loved every minute working on MasterChef, but it’s time to pass the cutlery to someone else,” he added.

A BBC spokesperson said the independent investigation, led by the law firm Lewis Silkin, substantiated the allegation. They added, “We will not tolerate racist language of any kind… action must be taken.”

Davie did not confirm whether this year’s already-filmed series of MasterChef, which includes both John and Gregg, will be broadcast.