Australian MasterChef co-host ‘truly upset’ about Wallace scandal

London: John Torode, the Australian celebrity chef who has fronted MasterChef UK on British television for almost 20 years, said he has found the scandal engulfing his long-time co-host Gregg Wallace “truly upsetting”.

Wallace, 60, announced last week that he was stepping back from the BBC show amid an investigation into his conduct after allegations he made sexualised jokes and other inappropriate remarks towards more than a dozen women across a range of television shows over a 17-year period.

MasterChef UK long-time co-hosts: Australian John Torode, left, and Gregg Wallace.

A number of further allegations have since emerged, including inappropriate touching, with several women saying they reported concerns to television bosses years ago, but Wallace was allowed to remain on screen. His lawyers have strongly denied the allegations he had engaged in any behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.

Torode, who moved as a young chef to London, had been pressured to address the complaints about his BBC colleague after several women said he had been present when his co-host made them feel uncomfortable.

As one of the BBC’s longest-running and most well-loved shows, MasterChef has remained a jewel in the broadcaster’s crown since its genesis in 1990. The global format is a lucrative asset for the broadcaster, generating income through advertising, international licensing, merchandise and spin-offs.

John Torode on a visit to Sydney.

The BBC said on Tuesday it was removing two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials from the schedule following the allegations about Wallace. However, the current series of MasterChef: The Professionals continues to appear. The historical misconduct complaints are being externally reviewed by the show’s producers, Banijay UK.

In an Instagram post, Torode, 59, said he had been filming abroad but would continue to be part of the program.

“The thought of anyone who has appeared on our show not having a brilliant experience is awful to hear, and I have found the recent press reports truly upsetting,” Torode, who was born in Melbourne and raised in Maitland, NSW, wrote.

“I love my job and I love MasterChef. I love being part of it and will continue to be part of it. During the last few days, I’ve been trying to make the best cookery programme, so being busy making the show and caring for our contestants has allowed me little time to think about anything else, but that has been hard.”

Torode said he fully supported the current investigation into Wallace’s alleged behaviour, but could not comment further while it was ongoing.

“I hope that you all understand and respect my silence on the matter,” he said.

Torode, who ran his own successful restaurants, Smiths Of Smithfield and The Luxe, rose to TV fame in 1996 as the resident chef on top-rating commercial channel ITV’s This Morning. He joined the revamped version of MasterChef with Wallace when it launched in 2005 and was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to food and charity.

He has often stressed in interviews that he didn’t associate socially with Wallace despite their tight on-screen persona.

One woman who has made allegations against Wallace told The Times he made “creepy comments” about her legs in front of Torode when she was on the show.

“John Torode was a genuine, kind, approachable and considered gentleman,” she said. “However … he allowed those comments to be made unchallenged.”

Among the claims, BBC News reported that a worker on MasterChef said Wallace regularly made sexually explicit remarks on set in 2005 and 2006, while a former contestant, Kate Tomas, alleged in a video on her TikTok that he sexually harassed her and described him as “disgusting and repulsive”. She called him a “racist piece of shit” and claimed he impersonated an Indian accent in front of an Indian staff member.

Wallace said in an Instagram video the accusations about him making sexual comments towards staff and guests have come from “middle-class women of a certain age”. He later apologised for the remark, saying he “wasn’t in a good headspace” when he posted it.

“I’ve been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion, I felt very alone, under siege yesterday when I posted it... It’s obvious to me I need to take some time out while this investigation is underway.”

Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here.