MasterChef’s John Torode is said to have used the ‘worst racial slur there is’, it has been claimed.
The Australian chef and his MasterChef co-presenter Gregg Wallace were both sacked from the BBC this week.
Wallace, 60, was officially sacked after the bombshell Silkins review, commissioned by MasterChef production company Banijay UK, upheld 45 allegations against him, including a case of ‘unwelcome physical contact’.
Torode, 59, then quickly followed him out the door after confirming that an allegation of racist language included in the report was against him, although he said he has no recollection of the incident.
In a statement, the BBC said Banijay would not be renewing Torode’s contract, so the co-presenters have been booted from the cooking reality series.
The word Torode used has been described as ‘the worst racial slur there is’ by Richard Osman on The Rest is Entertainment podcast.
‘He used I think probably the worst racial slur there is and they found that to be substantively true. They found evidence they were happy with. He said that he couldn’t remember it. But that one was upheld’, Osman said on the Goalhanger podcast.
Torode has said ‘he had absolutely no recollection’ of using the racial language and did ‘not believe that it happened’.
It has also been claimed the BBC and Banijay had asked Torode to leave MasterChef, citing mental health problems.
This comes amid uncertainty over whether the series of MasterChef already in the can will ever see the light of day.
The BBC said in a statement earlier this week that a decision has not yet been made on whether or not the series, filmed last year, will air.
‘At this stage we are not going to make a final decision on the broadcast of the series that was filmed last year,’ the statement read.
‘We know this is disappointing for fans of the show and those who took part and at the appropriate time Banijay UK will consult further with the amateur contestants.’
However, The Sun has now claimed that series 21 will indeed be broadcast, quoting a source who has said ‘the feeling at present is that the show, quite literally, must go on’.
A timeline of allegations against Gregg Wallace
2005 to 2011
A report by law firm Lewis Silkin found there were 27 substantiated claims against Wallace relating to alleged incidents during this period, most of which related to sexually explicit comments.
One allegation of unwanted physical contact during this timeframe was also substantiated.
The report found that when concerns were reported to the production company during this period, there was a failure to retain records of any action taken.
2012 to 2018
The report found that 17 upheld allegations relate to this period.
In 2015, the production company behind MasterChef investigated an allegation about Wallace’s behaviour, but he was not made aware of the complaint.
The following year, the production company merged with Endemol, and more formal policies, regular training, and anonymous reporting lines were introduced.
The BBC intervened in response to a complaint in 2017, following which Wallace was warned of the need to change his behaviour.
2019 to 2024
One substantiated complaint about an inappropriate comment fell into this period.
November 2024
Wallace faced allegations of inappropriate sexual comments from 13 people across a range of shows over 17 years, BBC News reported.
The TV star stepped away from presenting MasterChef while Banijay, the show’s production company, announced that it was conducting an external review to ‘fully and impartially investigate’ the claims.
BBC News said allegations include the presenter ‘talking openly about his sex life, taking his top off in front of a female worker saying he wanted to “give her a fashion show”, and telling a junior female colleague he was not wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans’.
The charity Ambitious About Autism said it had dropped Wallace as an ambassador, citing the ‘recent allegations’.
Banijay UK confirmed it appointed law firm Lewis Silkin to lead the investigation into Wallace’s alleged behaviour.
December 2024
Wallace said in a video posted to Instagram that accusations about him making sexual comments towards staff and guests have come from ‘middle-class women of a certain age’.
Downing Street said Wallace’s response to the accusations being made against him was ‘inappropriate and misogynistic’.
A spokesperson added that Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy had held talks with BBC bosses in the wake of the Wallace row.
Following the backlash, Wallace apologised for any ‘offence’ or ‘upset’ he caused with his remarks and said he would ‘take some time out’.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said politicians should be ready to put in place ‘mechanisms’ that would instil ‘confidence’ that women will be taken seriously in reports of inappropriate behaviour after a Labour MP asked him about ‘women of a certain age’, reflecting comments Wallace apologised for.
MasterChef co-presenter John Torode said in a social media post that he ‘loves being part of’ the programme and ‘will continue to be a part of it’.
April 2025
Wallace told the Daily Mail he ‘thought about suicide all the time’ after allegations of misconduct were made against him.
July 8-9, 2025
Wallace was sacked as MasterChef presenter following the inquiry into his alleged misconduct by production company Banijay.
BBC News said it had not seen the final review from Banijay but understood the presenter had been sacked.
In an Instagram post, the former greengrocer claimed he had been cleared of the ‘most serious and sensational accusations’ ahead of the published review.
He also said he recognised that some of his humour and language were inappropriate ‘at times’ and apologised for this.
July 14, 2025
The report by law firm Lewis Silkin for Banijay is published.
It says that a total of 45 out of the 83 allegations made against Wallace during his time on the show were substantiated, including one allegation of ‘unwelcome physical contact’.
It concludes that the ‘majority of the substantiated allegations against Mr Wallace related to inappropriate sexual language and humour’, adding that ‘a smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also substantiated’.
In the wake of the report’s findings, Banijay say that ‘Wallace’s return to MasterChef (is) untenable’.
The source told the publication: ‘As a publicly funded body, the BBC has a duty to both provide entertainment as well as fulfil its obligations to cast, crew, contestants and viewers alike.
‘If they were to can these two series, hundreds of people – those who appeared or worked on the shows – would be so bitterly disappointed.
‘So the feeling at present is that the show, quite literally, must go on – albeit once the dust has settled and all the fuss died down.’
It comes after the BBC director general Tim Davie told the BBC’s Katie Razzall that a decision has not yet been made on whether the series will air.
‘It’s a difficult one,’ he said. ‘Those amateur chefs gave a lot of time to take part in the show. It means a lot, it can be an enormous break if you come through the show.
‘So, I want to just reflect on that with the team and make a decision and we’ll communicate that in due course.’
Metro contacted the BBC and Banijay for comment.
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