Gregg Wallace breaks silence on racism claim against MasterChef co-host John Torode
A BBC report which upheld 45 of 83 allegations of bad behaviour against Wallace also upheld a claim that a second person used a racial phrase once several years ago.
4
4
Torode later confirmed to The Sun that this allegation referred to him, but denied that it had ever happened.
He followed Wallace in being sacked by the BBC after allegedly using a racial slur when repeating lyrics from rapper Kanye West's hit Gold Digger at an after-work gathering.
Read Gregg Wallace's exclusive interview here
But in an extensive interview with The Sun - in which Wallace also tearfully addresses the slew of complaints of bad behaviour made against him - the former greengrocer leaps to the defence of his co-star.
Gregg exclusively told The Sun: "I'll tell you one thing right now: John Torode is not a racist.
"I've known John for 30 years and he is not a racist.
'And as evidence of that, I'll show you the incredible diversity of the people that he has championed, MasterChef winners, over the years.
"There is no way that man is a racist. No way. And my sympathies go out to John because I don't want anybody to go through what I've been through.'
Wallace was sacked by the Beeb after an investigation upheld 45 out of the 83 allegations made against him.
The bombshell inquiry, carried out by law firm Lewis Silkin for production company Banijay, unveiled a litany of complaints against him.
Most of them involved inappropriate sexual language and humour and a further 10 were made about other people - two of which were substantiated.
Wallace, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder during the seven-month probe, went on to add that he is "relieved the Banijay report fully recognises that my behaviour changed profoundly in 2018".
Torode began presenting the BBC cooking contest alongside Wallace in 2005.
Gregg and John celebrated the show's 20th anniversary in 2024 with a special dinner at Fishmongers' Hall in London.
4
4
MASTERCHEF SCANDAL TIMELINE
2005 to 2011: Problems with MasterChef began way back in the mid-2000s, with 27 substantiated claims made against host Gregg Wallace regarding alleged incidents in this period, according to a report by law firm Lewis Silkin.
Most of these were related to sexually explicit comments, although one allegation of unwanted physical contact in this period was also substantiated.
The same report found there was a failure by the production company to retain records of any actions taken during this time.
2012 to 2018: Another 17 allegations were upheld from this period, according to the report.
The production company behind MasterChef investigated an allegation about Wallace's behaviour in 2015 - but he was not made aware of the complaint.
In 2016, the production company merged with Endemol, introducing more formal policies as well as regular training and anonymous reporting lines.
The BBC intervened in response to a complaint in 2017, after which Wallace was then warned to change his behaviour.
2019 to 2024: One substantiated complaint about an inappropriate comment was from this time period.
November 2024: Wallace faces allegations of inappropriate sexual comments from 13 people across a 17-year period on a range of TV shows.
He steps away from presenting MasterChef while Banijay - the show's production company - announces it will conduct an external review to 'fully and impartially investigate' the claims against him.
Some of these allegations included Wallace 'talking openly about his sex life, taking his top off in front of a female worker saying he wanted to 'give her a fashion show', and telling a junior female colleague he was not wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans'.
Banijay UK also confirms it has appointed law firm Lewis Silkin to lead the investigation into Wallace's alleged behaviour.
December 2024: Wallace posts a video on Instagram which claims accusations against him making sexual comments towards staff and guests have come from 'middle-class women of a certain age'.
His remarks are widely panned as "inappropriate and misogynistic', causing Wallace to apologise for any 'offence' or 'upset' he caused with his remarks, saying he will 'take some time out'.
Co-host John Torode says he 'loves being part of' the show and 'will continue to be a part of it'.
July 8 to 9, 2025: Wallace is sacked as MasterChef presenter following an enquiry into his alleged misconduct by Banijay.
In an Instagram post, the former greengrocer claimed he had been cleared of the 'most serious and sensational accusations' against him, ahead of the published review.
He also said he recognised that some of his humour and language was inappropriate 'at times' and apologised for this.
July 14, 2025: Lewis Silkin publishes its report, on behalf of Banijay.
It says that a total of 45 out of the 83 allegations made against Wallace during his time on the show were substantiated, including one allegation of 'unwelcome physical contact'.
It concludes that the 'majority of the substantiated allegations against Wallace related to inappropriate sexual language and humour', adding that 'a smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also substantiated'.
In the wake of the report's findings, Banijay says that 'Wallace's return to MasterChef (is) untenable'.
July 15, 2025: Co-host Torode is sacked after allegedly making a racist remark while on the show.
BBC bosses axe the TV host and slam an "extremely offensive" term, which was raised in the bombshell report into Gregg Wallace's "inappropriate behaviour".
Torode says the comment - which the report attributed to an unnamed person - referred to him, but added: 'I have absolutely no recollection of this, and I do not believe that it happened.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Strictly's Wynne Evans no longer speaking to partner as he lashes out at BBC show
Wynne Evans has made a series of sensational claims about his time on Strictly Come Dancing as he spoke about the BBC show and the BBC itself in his new radio show Wynne Evans has made a series of sensational claims about his time on Strictly Come Dancing. The Go Compare star was on the show in 2024 but his time on the programme was plagued by scandal. During the show, he and professional dance partner Katya Jones hit the headlines when they carried out a "body language experiment" where he grabbed her waist and she pushed his hand away. He alleged that it was part of an experiment and both of them later apologised for the 'joke' gone wrong. Following that, Wynne was suspended from the Strictly tour after he allegedly used the word 'spitroast' in a joke about Janette Manrara during a press call for the tour. He later insisted it was misheard and he had not used it in that context. Now, Wynne is adamant to speak out and has made a string of claims about his former Strictly co-stars. He said it is not about him anymore and instead, he wants to help others who might appear on the show. It comes after Wynne revealed what he was told by Strictly in a shock statement. In new barbed comments made on his radio show today, Wynne was grilled on whether he was in contact with any of the Strictly stars. "No I'm not," he replied. "I'm not in contact with any of them. "I think that when I was released from the tour, I heard - although this may not be true - that they were told not to contact me. I've had a few messages from them since - but not really, now today I'm not in contact with any of them at all." He later added: "Katya's a really nice person, I'm not going to say anything bad about her." He also said that some of the judges had reached out to him with nice messages, but claimed others wouldn't speak out because they were scared. Wynne previously accused Strictly of being "fundamentally flawed in its duty of care". He was let go by the BBC in May and revealed he would no longer host on BBC Radio Wales after apologising for using "inappropriate language" during the launch of the Strictly tour. In an Instagram post he shared earlier this week with 2025's Strictly stars, Wynne accused the BBC of engaging in a series of "lies and cover‐ups in order to absolve themselves of any wrongdoing" and said this was the "hardest part" for him. He further alleged in his statement that the HR department "twisted facts, invented files and dates, and created a version of events that simply wasn't true". In May, he told the Sun that a comment he made on the Strictly Come Dancing tour was not sexual or aimed at one of the female cast members, but was actually a nickname for fellow contestant, EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick. In June, the opera singer announced his comeback to radio with The Wynne Evans Show, a live weekday internet broadcast.
The Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Sun
Katie Price family panic about her weight loss as mum fears eating disorder and dad has bizarre theory about ‘thin' legs
KATIE Price has admitted her family are worried over her weight loss as her parents called her out about it. The mum-of-five, 47, was joined by her sister Sophie on the first episode of her new podcast, The Katie Price show. 3 3 As the podcast was wrapping up, the sister duo was joined by Sophie's dad and Katie stepdad Paul as talk soon turned to Katie's weight loss. On the episode, Katie, who recently showed off her newest surgery, asked her dad: 'What are you looking at?' to which he replied: 'Look how thin them legs are, terrible they are, my hand can go round them.' She replied: 'They're obsessed with my weight,' as Sophie chimed in: 'You are thin.' Katie was heard insisting: 'I am happy,' as her dad retorted: 'No it's not right, it's probably that vaping crap.' The reality star, who showed off a hilarious snap, continued: 'Mum said last night, you must be bulimic or something. I said… JJ do I throw my food up? No, I eat.' Sophie went on to reveal that their mum Amy called her to tell Katie she was worried about her weight loss. She revealed: 'Mum called me the other day and said I'm going to have a word with Kate because she's too thin. I think mum saw a picture on Instagram and she wasn't happy.' Katie responded: 'My legs do look thin, but I like it.' The I'm A Celebrity star's rapid weight loss has been a topic of discussion for a while now, with even her fans being worried about her. Earlier this week, the former glamour model posted a series of photos of recent family time she's spent with her parents, nieces and son Harvey, 23. Emotional Katie Price reveals Harvey was in tears on the phone after she dropped him off at new home "This week's family photo drop," Katie captioned the post on her official Facebook page. Katie also shared a photo posing with her two nieces where she was standing between them wearing a t-shirt and black leggings. "My beautiful nieces," she captioned the post, but many people were distracted by her very slim frame. "Katie, please gain some weight," commented one fan as another penned: 'Poor Katie.' A third worried follower asked: 'Is she okay?' She previously addressed her fans' worries with a video on Snapchat and said the concerns were 'driving her mad'. Katie admitted in the clip: "Yes I've lost weight. Yes that what I've wanted to do, I've wanted to lose weight. "Because the past three, four years ago when I broke my feet and I was in a wheelchair for 10 months because they said I'd never walk again, and obviously you put weight on being in a wheelchair. "And then I did all the IVF stuff, that also puts on weight. "So yeah I did put on weight and I hated it, I felt uncomfortable and it wasn't me." Continuing to address the backlash, she said: "Everyone is talking about it - it's driving me mad. "If you look at old old pictures of me in the Jordan days, I was always skinny. But today where i have lost weight, I feel, my butt looks like a deflated balloon." Katie Price's Surgery: A Timeline 1998 - Katie underwent her first breast augmentation taking her from a natural B cup to a C cup. She also had her first liposuction 1999 - Katie had two more boob jobs in the same year, one taking her from a C cup to a D cup, and then up to an F cup 2006 - Katie went under the knife to take her breasts up to a G cup 2007 - Katie had a rhinoplasty and veneers on her teeth 2008 - Katie stunned fans by reducing her breasts from an F cup to a C cup 2011 - Going back to an F cup, Katie also underwent body-contouring treatment and cheek and lip fillers 2014/5 - Following a nasty infection, Katie had her breast implants removed 2016 - Opting for bigger breasts yet again, Katie had another set of implants, along with implants, Botox and lip fillers 2017 - After a disastrous 'threading' facelift, Katie also had her veneers replaced. She also had her eighth boob job taking her to a GG cup 2018 - Katie went under the knife yet again for a facelift 2019 - After jetting to Turkey, Katie had a face, eye and eyelid lift, Brazilian bum lift and a tummy tuck 2020 - Katie has her 12th boob job in Belgium to correct botched surgery and a new set of veneers 2021 - In a complete body overhaul, she opts for eye and lip lifts, liposuction under her chin, fat injected into her bum and full body liposuction 2022 - Katie undergoes another brow and eye lift-and undergoes 'biggest ever' boob job in Belgium, her 16th in total 2023 - Opting for a second rhinoplasty, Katie also gets a lip lift at the same time as well as new lip filler throughout the year 2024 - Katie has her 17th boob job in Brussels after revealing she wanted to downsize. She performed at Dublin Pride just days later and surgeons warned the lack of recovery posed a risk of infection 3
Times
24 minutes ago
- Times
Jeremy Clarkson reveals his Diddly Squat Farm hit by TB outbreak
Bovine tuberculosis has been discovered at Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire, Jeremy Clarkson has said. Clarkson, 65, said the tuberculosis (TB) was found in a cow pregnant with two calves. Infected animals are often destroyed to stop the disease spreading. The TV presenter wrote on X: 'Bad news from Diddly Squat. We've gone down with TB. Everyone here is absolutely devastated.' He added: 'The offending animal is pregnant with twins.' Jeremy Clarkson previously said badgers 'cause heartache' to farmers One fan asked whether Endgame, his prize-winning Aberdeen Angus bull, had been infected. Clarkson said Endgame's test was 'inconclusive', adding: 'I couldn't bear it if we lost him.' Clarkson had previously discussed the threat posed by bovine TB on his show Clarkson's Farm. In one scene, he was told the presence of badgers at Diddly Squat put his cattle at risk of contracting TB. One of the badgers on the farm had tested positive for the bacteria which causes the disease. He said: 'These are not nice animals. They cause heartache to people who've worked for generations to build up a farm.' Clarkson was reported to have been visited by police after claims by activists he had filled in badger setts at the farm. The presenter told officers that he had actually shot the animals legally under licence. In 2023 Clarkson's farm assistant, Kaleb Cooper, said that three of his own 21 dairy cows had contracted bovine TB. At the time, Cooper said: 'I don't really know how to describe the emotion. I know it's not all my cows, but it's hard. It's not good. 'Three reactors, so we've therefore got to test again in two months' time. That's three cows we've lost that are milking.'
