John Torode Says BBC 'Spat Him Out' Amid Masterchef Race Row

John Torode has stated that the BBC "spat" him out when he was dismissed from the corporation following an alleged race row. The former Masterchef host, 61, also characterized his relationship with former co-presenter Gregg Wallace as purely professional, noting they never visited each other's homes.

Torode was dismissed over the phone while on holiday in the summer of 2025, shortly after Wallace's own dismissal in July. An investigation by solicitors Lewis Silkin, commissioned by Masterchef's production company Banijay UK, upheld 45 of 83 allegations against Wallace, which included being inadequately dressed at work, making sexually explicit remarks, and an instance of unwanted physical contact.

Despite being invited to continue hosting the show without his co-host, Torode was subsequently fired. He described the period following his dismissal as a time of grief, remarking that the BBC felt "like a machine that spat me out" and that "there was a lot more at play than to do with me."

When asked by The Telegraph if he had been a scapegoat for the BBC's contemporaneous scandals, which included the narration of a documentary on Gaza by the son of a senior Hamas member, Torode did not provide a direct answer. He expressed that the situation still did not make sense to him, emphasizing that throughout his 20 years on the show, no one had ever raised concerns about his conduct.

He also indicated that pursuing legal action against the BBC would cause further damage. Torode's sacking reportedly stemmed from an accusation of singing lyrics containing a racial slur from the Kanye West song "Gold Digger" at a post-work party in 2019. The BBC did not release an official report, and Torode stated he did not recall the event.

Torode declined to confirm whether he had been in contact with Wallace, his co-host of two decades, despite serving as his best man. He pointed out that it was Wallace's fourth marriage, to Anne-Marie Sterpini in 2016, and thus not his first choice of best man. Torode reiterated that their relationship was strictly work-related and never extended to personal visits.

Since his departure from Masterchef, Torode has launched a YouTube channel with his wife, actress Lisa Faulkner, titled "John and Lisa's Kitchen and Home." The couple, who met on the Masterchef set when Faulkner appeared in 2010, married nine years later. Earlier in 2026, Faulkner was diagnosed with breast cancer, an event Torode described as having "changed absolutely everything," prioritizing his wife's health above all else. Faulkner has since undergone surgery and is undergoing radiotherapy, advocating for regular mammograms after her early diagnosis.