
John Torode's wife Lisa Faulkner breaks silence after MasterChef star sacked ‘for using racist slur'
The top TV chef, 59, was said to be heartbroken after the BBC and production firm Banijay confirmed his
following the
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John Torode's wife Lisa Faulkner has spoken out after her husband was sacked
Credit: PA
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She penned a message on Instagram
Credit: lisafaulknercooks
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Former MasterChef hosts John Torode, 59, and Gregg Wallace, 60,
Credit: BBC
Earlier this month, the broadcaster confirmed the host's contract would not be renewed after a report found he had used an 'extremely offensive racist term' during drinks after filming.
Torode confirmed to The Sun that this allegation referred to him, but denied that it had ever happened.
Now, in a video uploaded to Instagram today, his wife Lisa broke her silence for the first time.
She said: "Hi there, I just wanted to check in and say hello and I'm here.
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"Just thank you for all your really lovely comments because they really mean a lot, so thank you."
Wallace, 60, was dropped from the
BBC
cooking competition in November 2024 amid
numerous allegations of inappropriate conduct
in the workplace.
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 - which emerged to be Torode.
Torode has denied the claims and said he has 'no recollection' of the event.
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He also revealed that he had been told the person with whom he was speaking "did not believe it was intended in a malicious way".
Gregg Wallace breaks silence on racism claim against MasterChef co-host John Torode
The BBC was unable to specify the time or date of the allegation, narrowing it down to '2018 or 2019'.
Torode 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.
The Australian began presenting the BBC cooking contest alongside Wallace in 2005.
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Gregg and John celebrated the show's 20th anniversary in 2024 with a special dinner at Fishmongers' Hall in London.

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