Axed MasterChef judge John Torode and his wife Lisa Faulkner have sold their north London home for £1.8 million, just 15 months after he was dismissed from the BBC show. The couple reduced the asking price by £105,000 to secure a quick sale but are still set to make a profit of almost £600,000, having bought the property for £1.2 million in 2015.
Sale Details and Property Features
The five-bedroom end-of-terrace house in Muswell Hill was put on the market just over a year after Torode, 61, was axed from his long-term role on the cookery programme. The couple had filmed their YouTube cooking show, John And Lisa's Kitchen And Home, from the property, which has accumulated more than 1.3 million views and 23,000 subscribers since its launch.
The home has been renovated by the pair while retaining traditional Edwardian features. It includes designer bathrooms, a bespoke kitchen and diner, a south-facing garden, and stunning sash windows. Land Registry documents show the sale has now gone through for £1,795,000.
Couple's Connection to the Home
Torode and Faulkner, who married in 2019 having met on Celebrity MasterChef nine years earlier, have often spoken about how the home has been their happy place. Former actress Faulkner recently revealed she was using the peaceful surroundings of her garden to recover from an operation, having been diagnosed with breast cancer in April.
Speaking to The Times, she said: "I've been in a bubble with my family and friends, sitting in the garden with Johno, doing word searches and puzzles. In every situation that has happened [to us] there have been dark days, but the light has been quite amazing. And if you keep searching for the light, I think that's what you take from it."
She added: "I said to Johno recently, 'All I want to do is cook with you in our kitchen for YouTube, and act, and if that is my life, I'll be so happy.'"
MasterChef Exit and Aftermath
The move comes 15 months after Torode was sacked after 20 years of hosting MasterChef, a decision he admits shocked him. His time on the show ended after an allegation that he sang along to the Kanye West song Gold Digger, which included a racist word, at a 2019 wrap party was upheld. Torode insisted he could not remember the incident, but after an investigation by the BBC, his contract was not renewed.
His departure came days after fellow judge Gregg Wallace, 61, was sacked over unacceptable behaviour, which included claims he groped one MasterChef worker and pulled his trousers down in front of another. Torode and Wallace have now been replaced by broadcaster and restaurant critic Grace Dent and Irish chef and restaurateur Anna Haugh.
Speaking in September, Torode admitted he was left stunned by his dismissal, having been informed by his agent while on holiday. "It was a shock," he told The Telegraph. "The shutters closed around me and I was devastated, absolutely, completely devastated. I put my heart and soul into that thing. I really worked very, very hard."
He said he believed the BBC simply "spat him out" and never pulled him up over any conduct, saying: "Nobody ever knocked on my door and said, 'You can't do this', or 'This is a problem'. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever."
