MasterChef viewers have accused the BBC of “disgraceful” editing after spotting what appeared to be repeated and awkwardly cut clips of axed host Gregg Wallace in the latest episode.
Wallace and his long-time co-presenter John Torode were dropped from the cooking competition last month, following nearly two decades on air, after an investigation upheld multiple misconduct allegations. Wallace faced 40 upheld complaints, including claims of inappropriate on-set behaviour, while Torode was found to have used a racist term in 2018.
Fans watching Wednesday night’s episode noticed the same shot of Wallace’s face, that of a fixed grin, used multiple times in quick succession. A viral TikTok clip highlighted the repeated footage, showing Wallace’s frozen expression appearing three times during a conversation between Torode and a contestant. Reactions on social media ranged from disbelief to “awkward” and “petty.”
One user who claimed to work in TV production suggested the team used an industry editing trick, stating: “Just reuse the previous shot to cover up any cut content.” They added that hosts could not be completely edited out without reshooting all their bits with new hosts, which is unlikely due to cost.
The viewer commentary comes after a second contestant was edited out of the latest series. A Banijay UK spokesperson said: “One other contributor decided that given recent events they would like not to be included. We have of course accepted their wishes and edited them out of the show.”
