MasterChef's John Torode Confirms Racism Allegation in Gregg Wallace Report

John Torode, co-presenter of MasterChef, has confirmed he was the subject of an allegation of using racist language upheld during a review of Gregg Wallace's behaviour. The investigation, commissioned by MasterChef's production company Banijay UK and led by law firm Lewis Silkin, substantiated 45 allegations against Wallace and two standalone allegations against others, including one against Torode. Torode stated the incident allegedly occurred in 2018 or 2019 in a social setting, where the person he spoke with did not believe the language was malicious and that he apologised immediately afterwards. He expressed having no recollection of the incident and denied that it happened but emphasized his view that any racial language is wholly unacceptable. The BBC has taken the findings seriously, and Wallace was removed from the show following the report. Torode’s statement conveyed shock and sadness over the allegation, underscoring his commitment to not causing offence.