John Torode will not return to MasterChef after producers Banijay UK confirmed his contract would not be renewed following an allegation of using racist language. The Australian-born chef, 59, had earlier confirmed he was the subject of an allegation upheld during an inquiry into the behaviour of his former co-presenter Gregg Wallace.
A spokesperson for Banijay UK said the legal team at Lewis Silkin, which investigated allegations against Wallace, also substantiated an accusation of highly offensive racist language against Torode occurring in 2018. The BBC said the allegation involves an extremely offensive racist term used in the workplace, which was investigated and substantiated. Torode denies the allegation, stating he has no recollection of the incident and does not believe it happened.
In a statement on Instagram, Torode said he had not heard from the BBC or Banijay and repeated that he had no recollection of the accusation. He added that he had hoped to have some say in his exit from the show, which he has worked on since its relaunch in 2005. The 2025 series has already been filmed and delivered to the BBC, but Torode will not be contracted for any more episodes.
The report on Wallace found 45 out of 83 allegations against him were substantiated, alongside two standalone allegations against other people. Wallace was sacked last week before the report's release. BBC director general Tim Davie said a decision on whether to air the current series, which features both Wallace and Torode prominently, has not yet been made, but he is mindful of the amateur chefs who participated.
