John Torode will not have his MasterChef contract renewed after an independent investigation upheld allegations of racist language against the celebrity chef. The BBC and production company Banijay UK confirmed the decision following a review into workplace conduct on the popular cooking show.
The Australian-born presenter, 59, has co-hosted MasterChef alongside Gregg Wallace since 2005. On Monday night, Torode confirmed he was the subject of an allegation involving racist language that was substantiated during a review carried out by law firm Lewis Silkin.
Investigation finds serious allegations upheld
The Lewis Silkin investigation was commissioned by Banijay UK to examine alleged behaviour by Wallace and other individuals connected to the programme. The report found 45 out of 83 allegations against Wallace were substantiated, alongside two standalone allegations made against other people.
One of these standalone allegations involved Torode using "highly offensive racist language" in an incident that allegedly occurred in 2018. Banijay UK said the legal team at Lewis Silkin substantiated this accusation during their investigation.
Torode denies recollection of incident
Torode has stated he has "no recollection of the incident" and was "shocked and saddened" by the allegation. The chef said he does not believe the incident happened and maintains that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment.
A statement from Banijay UK said the matter had been formally discussed with Torode. The production company noted that whilst Torode says he does not recall the incident, Lewis Silkin have upheld the very serious complaint.
BBC takes zero tolerance stance
A BBC spokesperson emphasised the corporation takes the upheld finding extremely seriously. The broadcaster said it will not tolerate racist language of any kind and had already told Banijay UK that action must be taken.
The allegation involves "an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace", according to the BBC. The corporation confirmed that both it and Banijay UK are agreed that Torode's contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.
Torode was made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2022 for services to food and charity. The decision marks the end of his nearly two-decade tenure on one of British television's most popular cooking programmes.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
