It has been announced that another contestant has been edited out of the latest MasterChef series.
Following scandals attached to Gregg Wallace and John Torode, it was announced that major editing would be taking place to the final series.
This means that many of the jokes from Torode and Wallace have been edited out of the series, and in some cases, entire contestants.
In early August, it was announced that one contestant requested to be edited out as they preferred not to participate following the reports concernig the hosts.
It has now been announced that yet another contestant has made the same decision to be cut from the show.
A spokesperson for the show’s production company, Banijay, said: ‘One other contributor decided that given recent events they would like not to be included.
‘We have of course, accepted their wishes and edited them out of the show.’
In July, an independent report into MasterChef upheld 45 complaints against Wallace, including claims of inappropriate sexual language and one of unwelcome physical contact.
A racial language allegation against Torode – which he doesn’t recall – was also upheld.
The pair were swiftly removed from the show, but after a series had already been filmed withe a new batch of contestants.
The BBC chose to air the series, as to not ruin the hardwork put in by the contestants.
The BBC’s statement read in part: ‘After careful consideration and consultation with the contestants, we have decided to broadcast the amateur series of MasterChef on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 6 August. MasterChef is an amazing competition which is life-changing for the amateur chefs taking part. The focus of it has always been their skill and their journey.’
The statement added: ‘This has not been an easy decision in the circumstances and we appreciate not everyone will agree with it. In showing the series, which was filmed last year, it in no way diminishes our view of the seriousness of the upheld findings against both presenters.
‘We have been very clear on the standards of behaviour that we expect of those who work at the BBC or on shows made for the BBC.
‘However, we believe that broadcasting this series is the right thing to do for these cooks who have given so much to the process. We want them to be properly recognised and give the audience the choice to watch the series.’
A few weeks ago, it was announced that Sarah Shafi, a former contestant in the show, had asked to be removed from the series.
She explained why on ITV’s Good Morning Britain: ‘For me, it didn’t feel as faithful to food as I thought it would be, and at the same time, I felt it was uncomfortable around presenters.’
Garraway asked if she was referring to Wallace and his controversial comments last year about ‘women of a certain age’ making complaints against him.
She replied: ‘It wasn’t a big deal for me. I’m an older woman and a woman of that certain age, and I can kind of spot that creep, and you just go, I’ll just get on with it.
‘After I left the show, I think the main thing I felt was relief.’
The former contestant explained that it ‘isn’t about her’, adding: ‘This isn’t about a particular experience, although that gave me insight into the taste of that masculine toxicity, and I thought, I don’t want to really be part of that.’
In an interview with Newsnight, Shafi also claimed to have been ‘eyed up and ogled’ by Wallace while appearing on the TV show, adding he had made a ‘throwaway comment’ about his reputation with women.
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