MasterChef presenter John Torode has confirmed that he was the subject of an allegation involving the use of racist language during an investigation into the behaviour of his co-host Gregg Wallace.
According to Deadline, the inquiry was carried out by the production company behind MasterChef, known as Banijay UK.
The inquiry was launched after numerous complaints were made, with 45 out of 83 allegations against Wallace found to be valid.
Alongside those, two other separate allegations involving different individuals were also upheld, one of which was related to racist language.
John Torode has now confirmed that he was the person accused in that particular incident. The accusation refers to a single occasion said to have occurred in 2018 or 2019 during a social setting.
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According to the report, the individual involved did not believe the comment was meant to be malicious, and an apology was apparently made at the time.
Despite this, John Torode stated that he has no memory of the incident and maintains that he does not believe it ever happened.
Still, he said he takes the issue seriously and believes that any kind of racial language is completely unacceptable.
The situation arose during the wider investigation that ultimately led to Gregg Wallace being removed from his role on MasterChef.
Wallace’s dismissal came after several complaints, including one about inappropriate physical contact, were upheld. He later expressed regret for any discomfort he may have caused.
John Torode, who has been a familiar face on MasterChef for many years, said he was shocked and upset to learn of the allegation, especially as he has always believed in treating people with respect.
This marks a difficult moment for the long-running cooking show, which has been rocked by controversy in recent months.
As the story unfolds, it remains to be seen how these revelations will impact John Torode’s future on MasterChef.
For now, he remains part of the programme, though the production company is likely to face further scrutiny over its workplace culture and handling of complaints.
