Australian-British chef John Torode has been sacked from his long-standing role as a presenter on MasterChef UK after an allegation he used a racist term was upheld by an independent legal investigation.
A spokesperson for production company Banijay UK confirmed on Tuesday that Torode’s contract will not be renewed, following the outcome of an internal probe led by law firm Lewis Silkin.
“This matter has been formally discussed with John Torode by Banijay UK, and whilst we note that John says he does not recall the incident, Lewis Silkin have upheld the very serious complaint,” the company said in a statement.
“Banijay UK and the BBC are agreed that we will not renew his contract on MasterChef.”
The BBC’s director-general Tim Davie described the situation as “serious” and said the broadcaster had “drawn a line in the sand”.
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Torode, who has fronted the hit cooking competition since its 2005 relaunch, claimed he first learned of his dismissal through media reports.
“Although I haven’t heard from anyone at the BBC or Banijay – I am seeing and reading that I’ve been ‘sacked’ from MasterChef and I repeat that I have no recollection of what I’m accused of,” he said in a statement shared to Instagram.
“I hoped that I’d have some say in my exit from a show I’ve worked on since its relaunch in 2005, but events in the last few days seem to have prevented that.”
Torode said he had “loved every minute” of his time on the show but acknowledged “it’s time to pass the cutlery to someone else”.
The allegations relate to an incident in 2018 or 2019, reportedly in a social setting. Torode said he was told the individual involved did not believe the comment was intended maliciously and that he had apologised immediately.
“I have absolutely no recollection of any of this, and I do not believe that it happened,” he wrote. “However, I want to be clear that I’ve always had the view that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment.”
He added that he was “shocked and saddened” by the outcome of the investigation and “would never wish to cause anyone any offence.”
Torode’s exit follows the recent sacking of his longtime co-presenter Gregg Wallace, after more than 40 allegations of inappropriate behaviour – including unwelcome physical contact – were substantiated in a separate report commissioned by Banijay UK.
The twin departures mark the end of an era for MasterChef UK, with both presenters having fronted the show for nearly two decades. The BBC and Banijay have not yet announced who will replace them.
Images: Instagram
