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Metro
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
MasterChef's John Torode reportedly used 'worst racial slur there is'
MasterChef's John Torode is said to have used the 'worst racial slur there is', it has been claimed. The Australian chef and his MasterChef co-presenter Gregg Wallace were both sacked from the BBC this week. Wallace, 60, was officially sacked after the bombshell Silkins review, commissioned by MasterChef production company Banijay UK, upheld 45 allegations against him, including a case of 'unwelcome physical contact'. Torode, 59, then quickly followed him out the door after confirming that an allegation of racist language included in the report was against him, although he said he has no recollection of the incident. In a statement, the BBC said Banijay would not be renewing Torode's contract, so the co-presenters have been booted from the cooking reality series. The word Torode used has been described as 'the worst racial slur there is' by Richard Osman on The Rest is Entertainment podcast. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'He used I think probably the worst racial slur there is and they found that to be substantively true. They found evidence they were happy with. He said that he couldn't remember it. But that one was upheld', Osman said on the Goalhanger podcast. Torode has said 'he had absolutely no recollection' of using the racial language and did 'not believe that it happened'. It has also been claimed the BBC and Banijay had asked Torode to leave MasterChef, citing mental health problems. This comes amid uncertainty over whether the series of MasterChef already in the can will ever see the light of day. The BBC said in a statement earlier this week that a decision has not yet been made on whether or not the series, filmed last year, will air. 'At this stage we are not going to make a final decision on the broadcast of the series that was filmed last year,' the statement read. 'We know this is disappointing for fans of the show and those who took part and at the appropriate time Banijay UK will consult further with the amateur contestants.' However, The Sun has now claimed that series 21 will indeed be broadcast, quoting a source who has said 'the feeling at present is that the show, quite literally, must go on'. A report by law firm Lewis Silkin found there were 27 substantiated claims against Wallace relating to alleged incidents during this period, most of which related to sexually explicit comments. One allegation of unwanted physical contact during this timeframe was also substantiated. The report found that when concerns were reported to the production company during this period, there was a failure to retain records of any action taken. The report found that 17 upheld allegations relate to this period. In 2015, the production company behind MasterChef investigated an allegation about Wallace's behaviour, but he was not made aware of the complaint. The following year, the production company merged with Endemol, and more formal policies, regular training, and anonymous reporting lines were introduced. The BBC intervened in response to a complaint in 2017, following which Wallace was warned of the need to change his behaviour. One substantiated complaint about an inappropriate comment fell into this period. Wallace faced allegations of inappropriate sexual comments from 13 people across a range of shows over 17 years, BBC News reported. The TV star stepped away from presenting MasterChef while Banijay, the show's production company, announced that it was conducting an external review to 'fully and impartially investigate' the claims. BBC News said allegations include the presenter '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'. The charity Ambitious About Autism said it had dropped Wallace as an ambassador, citing the 'recent allegations'. Banijay UK confirmed it appointed law firm Lewis Silkin to lead the investigation into Wallace's alleged behaviour. Wallace said in a video posted to Instagram that accusations about him making sexual comments towards staff and guests have come from 'middle-class women of a certain age'. Downing Street said Wallace's response to the accusations being made against him was 'inappropriate and misogynistic'. A spokesperson added that Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy had held talks with BBC bosses in the wake of the Wallace row. Following the backlash, Wallace apologised for any 'offence' or 'upset' he caused with his remarks and said he would 'take some time out'. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said politicians should be ready to put in place 'mechanisms' that would instil 'confidence' that women will be taken seriously in reports of inappropriate behaviour after a Labour MP asked him about 'women of a certain age', reflecting comments Wallace apologised for. MasterChef co-presenter John Torode said in a social media post that he 'loves being part of' the programme and 'will continue to be a part of it'. Wallace told the Daily Mail he 'thought about suicide all the time' after allegations of misconduct were made against him. Wallace was sacked as MasterChef presenter following the inquiry into his alleged misconduct by production company Banijay. BBC News said it had not seen the final review from Banijay but understood the presenter had been sacked. In an Instagram post, the former greengrocer claimed he had been cleared of the 'most serious and sensational accusations' ahead of the published review. He also said he recognised that some of his humour and language were inappropriate 'at times' and apologised for this. The report by law firm Lewis Silkin for Banijay is published. 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 Mr 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 say that 'Wallace's return to MasterChef (is) untenable'. The source told the publication: 'As a publicly funded body, the BBC has a duty to both provide entertainment as well as fulfil its obligations to cast, crew, contestants and viewers alike. 'If they were to can these two series, hundreds of people – those who appeared or worked on the shows – would be so bitterly disappointed. 'So the feeling at present is that the show, quite literally, must go on – albeit once the dust has settled and all the fuss died down.' More Trending It comes after the BBC director general Tim Davie told the BBC's Katie Razzall that a decision has not yet been made on whether the series will air. 'It's a difficult one,' he said. 'Those amateur chefs gave a lot of time to take part in the show. It means a lot, it can be an enormous break if you come through the show. 'So, I want to just reflect on that with the team and make a decision and we'll communicate that in due course.' View More » Metro contacted the BBC and Banijay for comment. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: BBC confirms Two Doors Down is returning 2 years after show was cancelled MORE: Why is EastEnders not on tonight? Latest news on today's episode MORE: Naga Munchetty 'set to quit BBC Breakfast following bullying allegations'
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Richard Osman alleges John Torode used 'worst racial slur there is' which led to Masterchef axe
Richard Osman has broken his silence on John Torode's sacking and claims the former MasterChef star is not being entirely honest about why he was let go from the show. Richard Osman has broken his silence on John Torode's MasterChef axe, alleging that he was given the choice to stay on at the BBC show under one condition. Torode was sacked from MasterChef earlier this week following the claim that he had used "an extremely offensive racist term" was upheld. The TV host said in a statement that he had "no recollection" of it happening and said he found out his contract had been terminated through the news after the BBC and production company Banijay announced it. BBC star Richard Osman, who was a creative director at Banijay's Endemol Shine, has now shared his insight into the situation, claiming that the show had asked the TV presenter to do a training course and take a year off from the show after the allegation was upheld. Speaking on his podcast, The Rest is Entertainment, Richard explained: "They took John Torode aside, this was my understanding of the whole situation, and said: 'We believe that this happened. We believe that you used this language.' He denied it. "They said to him - whether this was the BBC or Banijay - they said to him, 'We will accept if you want to take a year off, you have to do a mandatory training course to understand and accept that this is not something we particularly want in our workplace.' "That was denied. He said, 'Of course I'm not going to do that. I didn't do this in the first place anyway so why would I ever do this?'" He added that the show then decided to let John go, the Mirror reports. Richard continued: "John Torode said, 'The first I knew about it was I read it in the papers.' And my understanding is that's not true - the first thing he knew about it was when he was told it". Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Richard then claimed that while John said the BBC asked him to resign and blame his mental health, what actually happened was that he was asked to do a training course which was their "only conversation." He said: "The only conversation was, 'We believe this happened. We will give you a second chance, a lifeline, which is you take a year, you take a series off, you go and do something, talk to people who maybe persuade you that this is not the way to act in a certain workplace.' And he said that he was not prepared to do that." Richard later alleged that there were further claims that weren't upheld. Richard said: "And by the way, there's all sorts of things that weren't upheld because they couldn't say for certain they believed it happened. But, you know, on this particular occasion, it's not woke gone mad. "You know, he used, I think, probably the worst racial slur there is. And they found that to be substantively true. They found evidence that they were happy with — that that was true. "He is saying, 'I definitely didn't do it. I certainly can't remember it,' but that one was upheld." A source told the media yesterday that Torode is now seeking legal action against the BBC over his sacking. The insider said: 'He wants to pursue them for unfair dismissal. He's telling people there is no proof of his supposed comment. It was not in a work capacity, it was just hearsay. John is determined to clear his name".
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Inside John Torode's MasterChef exit as BBC star shares 'truth' behind axe
BBC star and former Endemol creative director Richard Osman has spoken out about John Torode's MasterChef exit, sharing the 'real reason' he was let go from the programme BBC star Richard Osman has broken his silence on John Torode's MasterChef exit, claiming that he was given the option to stay on the show by the BBC under one condition. Earlier this week, John Torode was fired from MasterChef after an allegation of him using "an extremely offensive racist term" was upheld. The TV presenter said in a statement that he had "no recollection" of it happening and that he only found out that his contract had been terminated after the BBC and production company Banijay put out the news. Now, Richard Osman - who was a creative director at Banijay's Endemol Shine - has shared his insight into the situation, claiming that the show had asked the TV presenter to do a training course and take a year off from the show after the allegation was upheld. Speaking on his podcast, The Rest is Entertainment, Richard explained: "They took John Torode aside, this was my understanding of the whole situation, and said: 'We believe that this happened. We believe that you used this language.' He denied it. "They said to him - whether this was the BBC or Banijay - they said to him, 'We will accept if you want to take a year off, you have to do a mandatory training course to understand and accept that this is not something we particularly want in our workplace.' "That was denied. He said, 'Of course I'm not going to do that. I didn't do this in the first place anyway so why would I ever do this?'" He added that the show then decided to let John go. "John Torode said, 'The first I knew about it was I read it in the papers.' And my understanding is that's not true - the first thing he knew about it was when he was told it," Richard added. Richard went onto claim that while John had claimed that the BBC asked him to resign and blame his mental health, the "only conversation" had was asking him to do a training course. Richard explained: "The only conversation was, 'We believe this happened. We will give you a second chance, a lifeline, which is you take a year, you take a series off, you go and do something, talk to people who maybe persuade you that this is not the way to act in a certain workplace.' And he said that he was not prepared to do that." Richard later alleged that there were further claims that weren't upheld. "And by the way, there's all sorts of things that weren't upheld because they couldn't say for certain they believed it happened. But, you know, on this particular occasion, it's not woke gone mad," Richard said. "You know, he used, I think, probably the worst racial slur there is. And they found that to be substantively true. They found evidence that they were happy with — that that was true. "He is saying, 'I definitely didn't do it. I certainly can't remember it,' but that one was upheld." The Mirror has reached out to John Torode's representation for comment. Banijay declined to comment. John Torode is now planning to take legal action against the BBC over his sacking, a source told The Mirror yesterday. 'He wants to pursue them for unfair dismissal. He's telling people there is no proof of his supposed comment. It was not in a work capacity, it was just hearsay. John is determined to clear his name," they said.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
MasterChef stars 'make feelings clear' on new Gregg Wallace series ahead of BBC decision
Production of the new series of MasterChef, presented by Gregg Wallace, was underway when allegations about the presenter came to light, leaving its future uncertain A 'decision' about the unaired series of MasterChef has reportedly been made by bosses at the BBC. Filming for the upcoming series of the hit show was well underway when allegations about presenter Gregg Wallace came to light. The 60-year-old presenter stepped back from filming in November, with chef Anna Haugh said to have taken over the role from the semi-finals on. Gregg has since been sacked from the show after an investigation upheld 45 out of 83 complaints against him. Co-star John Torode was this week sacked from the show after law firm Lewis Silkin upheld a complaint that he used racist language eight years ago. Now, according to TV producer Richard Osman, BBC bosses are set to show the unaired episodes. The 54-year-old believes the decision has been made after producers from Banijay UK consulted with contestants who appeared on the show. The House of Games star however says no decision has been made on the next series of Celebrity MasterChef, which starred Grace Dent. Speaking on his The Rest is Entertainment podcast with journalist Marina Hyde, he said: 'The main one is the big main series and as people probably know, it was presented by John and Gregg, and as they got to the semi-final stages the allegations about Gregg came out and they replaced him with Anna Haugh from the semi-finals onwards. 'Anna is that wonderful Irish chef who is brilliant on everything. The feeling at the BBC and the feeling at Banijay, having talked to everyone who has been on that show, is that they would like to show it. 'They have spoken to pretty much every single contestant and the contestants are saying, 'We would be gutted if this doesn't go out'. It's been a huge deal what they have done, it makes careers as well.' Marina pointed out that a number of contestants from the hit show have gone on to open restaurants after appearing on the series. She added: 'It's a huge challenge and it goes on for a long time so their skills should absolutely be showcased I think.' It led Richard to explain he believes bosses have made a final decision on the unaired series. He said: 'I think, I'd be fairly confident in saying that the current plan is to show that series because it's due on quite soon. 'That's a decision that needs to be made quite quickly, they've made the decision, looking at the contestants, what the contestants would like to happen, and the contestants said, 'We would like it to go on air'.' The BBC had previously said that no decision on the future of the unaired series had been made. Although it did say producers would be consulting with the contestants before a decision is made. The BBC spokesperson said: "At this stage we are not going to make a final decision on the broadcast of the series that was filmed last year. "We know this is disappointing for fans of the show and those who took part, and at the appropriate time Banijay UK will consult further with the amateur contestants. "In April the BBC published a detailed response to an independent review of workplace culture, which reinforces expectations around behaviour and that we will act more decisively when standards are not met. "This also requires all TV production partners to align with the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) standards. "We want to reaffirm, there is no place for the abuse of power, unacceptable behaviour or language at the BBC, or shows made for the BBC." Earlier this week, BBC director Tim Davie described the decision as difficult. He said: "We haven't made a decision yet, it's a difficult one, because to your question, those amateur chefs gave a lot of time to take part in the show. It means a lot, it can be an enormous break if you come through the show. So, I want to just reflect on that with the team and make a decision and we'll communicate that in due course."
Metro
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Interior Design Masters fans fume after favourite loses to 'ugly' house in final
Interior Design Masters just cranked up the heat tonight in a shock final, as underdog John Cooper won over Rita Millat, leaving some fans fuming. The popular series sees comedian Alan Carr and interiors guru Michelle Ogundehin pit a group of designers against one another in various challenges over seven weeks. Tasked with transforming two holiday cottages in the village of Portmeirion in Wales for tonight's final, DT teacher John, 46, went for a Mediterranean-inspired finish, while visual merchandiser Rita, 42, opted for a cosy pastel-coloured vibe. For background: while Rita won the first challenge in the series, John was left in the bottom cohort on the sofa on four occasions. Some viewers weren't happy, as they felt Rita had been more consistent throughout the competition and it was sheer luck John pulled it out the bag at the last minute. 'Feel like I've just watched a terrible episode of changing rooms! That was awful – Rita had an amazing eye for design and this program ruined it. Rita if you're listening don't change who you are, you're amazing!' commented @cookiesam50 on X. 'I think that John was very lucky to be in the final but I preferred his house tonight. Rita's kitchen was underwhelming and that stairway was horrendous,' reasoned @BurghillGirl. However, @alemonsqueeze raged: 'My goodness, Rita was robbed! John has been at the bottom 4 times, his transformation was ugly and tasteless.' @Claret40 said: 'Gutted Rita didn't win Interior Design Masters. She was consistently head & shoulders above everyone else week after week. I wish her well in the future.' Others were very much team John though, as @TheSilverZebra said: 'Congratulations to John, the colours & design were spot on. That pop of blue throughout really brought it together, another great series.' @Alligatoruk1975 said: 'Yay John!!! Well deserved win on #InteriorDesignMasters. His confidence and style has grown throughout the series. His final room was very stylish and classy.' At one point throughout the series, Rita slightly lost her confidence, but brought it back when she injected her personality into her designs again. Meanwhile, John has been praised for his attention to detail, with time management an issue throughout the contest. In the seven weeks, contestants have transformed everything from hostel bunkrooms to hospitality boxes in the hope of going home with a major homeware range contract with John Lewis, which (the aptly named) John bagged tonight. Last year, host Alan Carr admitted on The Rest is Entertainment podcast that sometimes clients aren't happy with the show's design makeovers. 'Sometimes the people who own the shop or hairdressers or the hotel room really hate what they've done,' Alan said. 'What we do is we go back and paint it back to how it originally was so no one is offended.' View More » Interior Design Masters is streaming on BBC iPlayer. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: New BBC drama smashes records despite viewers 'switching off' after 5 minutes MORE: Here's why fans think Arabella Stanton as new Hermione is 'perfect casting' MORE: Doctor Who boss promises finale will address 'controversial' Time Lord change
