John Torode Claims BBC 'Spat Him Out' Amid Masterchef Race Row
The former Masterchef host reflects on his dismissal from the BBC and his professional relationship with Gregg Wallace.
John Torode has stated that the BBC "spat him out" when he was dismissed from the corporation following an alleged race row. The 61-year-old former Masterchef host also commented on his relationship with former co-presenter Gregg Wallace, describing it as purely professional and denying they had ever visited each other's homes, despite Torode having served as Wallace's best man.
Torode, who moved to Britain from Melbourne in the 1990s, was reportedly sacked over the phone while on holiday in July 2025, shortly after Wallace's dismissal. An investigation by solicitors Lewis Silkin, commissioned by Masterchef's production company Banijay UK, had substantiated 45 out of 83 allegations against Wallace, which included being in a state of undress at work, making sexually explicit comments, and an accusation of unwanted physical contact.
Despite being invited to continue presenting the show without Wallace, Torode was subsequently fired. He described the period that followed as one of grief, likening the BBC to "a machine that spat me out." Torode suggested that "a lot more at play than to do with me" was involved in his dismissal.
Reports have indicated that Torode believed Tim Davie, the BBC's then-Director General, may have played a role in his sacking, particularly as the corporation was facing numerous scandals, including the narration of a documentary on Gaza by the son of a senior Hamas member. When asked by The Telegraph if he had been a scapegoat for the BBC's contemporary issues, Torode did not offer a direct confirmation. He expressed that the situation still "doesn't quite make sense," emphasizing that he believed he performed his job well over 20 years and never received any negative feedback from the BBC. He also stated that pursuing legal action against the BBC would cause further damage.
His dismissal was reportedly linked to an accusation of singing lyrics containing a racial slur from Kanye West's song "Gold Digger" at a post-work party in 2019. The BBC did not release an official report on the incident, and Torode stated he did not recall the evening.
Torode declined to confirm whether he had been in contact with Wallace, his co-host for two decades, despite being his best man at Wallace's fourth marriage in 2016. Torode noted that it was not the first marriage for the former grocer. He reiterated that his relationship with Wallace had always been strictly work-related, with no personal visits to each other's homes.
Since his departure from Masterchef, Torode has launched a YouTube channel with his wife, actress Lisa Faulkner, called "John and Lisa's Kitchen and Home." The couple, who met on the set of Masterchef when Faulkner appeared in 2010, married nine years later. Earlier in 2026, Faulkner was diagnosed with breast cancer. Torode has since stated that his wife's health and their time together are his primary concerns, especially following her diagnosis, which he said had "changed absolutely everything."