John Torode, former co-host of BBC’s MasterChef for 20 years, claims the network unfairly fired him during a racial controversy. He describes the situation as the BBC “spat” him out and suggests there might have been additional factors at play beyond his alleged misconduct. Torode maintains he was unaware of any issues until his dismissal and declined to pursue legal action against the corporation. Since leaving MasterChef, Torode has started a YouTube channel with his wife Lisa Faulkner and reveals that while Gregg Wallace, his co-presenter, was his best man for his wedding, their relationship remained strictly professional.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
John Torode, 61, was fired from MasterChef UK last year after being accused of using highly offensive racist language. The BBC terminated his contract over the phone while he was on holiday, leaving him devastated and shocked. Torode described the situation as so unexpected that there was no chance to address it or heal from it immediately. He characterized the BBC as a machine that spat him out without prior warnings about his conduct throughout his career with them.
Torode ruled out taking legal action over his dismissal, saying such conflict would only cause further damage. Despite having been Gregg Wallace's best man, Torode maintains their relationship was purely professional and they had never visited each other’s homes. The production company Banijay UK conducted an investigation that upheld 45 of 83 allegations against Wallace, leading to both hosts losing their jobs at the show.
Written for “John Torode MasterChef Exit” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source
John Torode has said the BBC 'spat' him out when he was sacked from the corporation over an alleged race row.
The former Masterchef host, 61, also said his relationship with former co-presenter Gregg Wallace was purely professional and the two had never been to each other's houses – despite Torode being Wallace's best man.
asserted
Torode → see → houses
Last summer the Melbourne-born chef, who moved to Britain in the 1990s, was sacked over the phone while on holiday after Wallace's dismissal in July.
asserted
who → bear → July
An investigation by solicitors Lewis Silkin, ordered by Masterchef's production company Banijay UK, had upheld 45 of 83 allegations against Wallace, including being in a state of undress at work, making sexually explicit comments and an allegation of unwanted physical contact.
asserted
investigation → order → contact
Despite being asked to continue presenting without his former co-host, Torode was soon fired himself, describing the months after as a time of grief.
asserted
Torode → ask → grief
He described the BBC as 'a machine' that 'spat me out', adding: 'It felt to me as though there was a lot more at play than to do with me.'
asserted
It → describe → me
Reports have suggested Torode believed the BBC's then-Director General, Tim Davie, may have had a role in his sacking as the corporation was mired in scandals including the revelation that the son of a senior Hamas member had narrated a documentary on Gaza.
uncertain
son → suggest → Gaza
John Torode presented Masterchef alongside Gregg Wallace for 20 years before the pair were sacked in 2025
Since being 'spat out' by the BBC, Torode has begun a YouTube channel with his wife, the actress Lisa Faulkner
Asked by The Telegraph whether he had been a scapegoat for the BBC's problems at the time, Torode did not directly answer.
asserted
Torode → present → time
'If I try and consider what the whole thing was all about, it still doesn't quite make sense.
asserted
it → try → sense
I had a job to do, and I believed I did my job well and over those 20 years, nobody ever knocked on my door and said "You can't do this," or "This is a problem".
asserted
This → have → this
He also said to pursue legal action against the BBC would only do further damage.
asserted
pursue → say → damage
His sacking reportedly centred on an accusation of singing lyrics containing a racial slur from the Kanye West song Gold Digger at a post-work party in 2019.
uncertain
sacking → centre → 2019
The corporation did not release an official report and Torode said he did not remember the evening.
asserted
he → release → evening
And Torode would not say whether he had been in touch with Wallace, his former co-host of 20 years, despite being his best man.
asserted
he → say → years
Torode protested it had been Wallace's fourth marriage – in 2016 to Anne-Marie Sterpini – and so he had not been the former grocer's first choice.
asserted
he → protest → Sterpini
He said the two had never been to each other's houses and their relationship was entirely based around their jobs.
asserted
relationship → say → jobs
Torode was Wallace's best man at his fourth marriage in 2016 but insisted their relationship had always been based around work and the two had not visited each other's homes
Since leaving Masterchef Torode has begun a YouTube channel with his wife Lisa Faulkner, titled John and Lisa's Kitchen and Home, filmed at their house in Muswell Hill, north London.
asserted
Torode → insist → Hill
The couple met on the cooking show's set when Faulkner, an actress who has appeared in Holby City and EastEnders, appeared in 2010 and they married nine years later.
asserted
they → meet → 2010
Earlier this year Faulkner was diagnosed with breast cancer, with Torode previously saying: 'The most important thing to me is health and being with my wife, Lisa, and if I have that, everything else pales into insignificance.'
asserted
everything → diagnose → insignificance
He said her cancer diagnosis had 'changed absolutely everything'.
asserted
diagnosis → say → everything
Faulkner said: 'Cancer comes along and knocks you again and you suddenly realise that none of the other stuff matters.
asserted
none → say → stuff
It changes everything.
asserted
It → change → everything
You suddenly realise what is important and the rest goes out of the window.
asserted
rest → realise → window
In July she broke the news on social media, writing: 'I know I've been very quiet on here, reason being I have had to have surgery for the early stages of breast cancer.
asserted
I → break → cancer
I had surgery two weeks ago, it was quite a big op but it's all good and I've my results back and they've got everything out.
asserted
they → have → everything
So it's all clear and I just need now to have some radiotherapy in a few weeks.
asserted
I → need → weeks
I just wanted to say I've got a bit of healing to do but I'm good.
asserted
I → want → healing
I'm well and feeling so much better and I'm so grateful I went for my mammogram.'
asserted
I → feel → mammogram
Encouraging others to be screened, she added: 'I just wanted to say don't put them off, go, because they found this and without that mammogram it wouldn't have been picked up.
asserted
it → encourage → mammogram
'Thank you to our wonderful NHS and the fact we can have these mammograms and we can get treatment early.'
asserted
we → thank → treatment
The Aporia
