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John Torode opens up about his relationship with Gregg Wallace after "stressful" MasterChef sacking
"When we filmed, we filmed, and when we didn’t, we weren't in touch."
BBC/Shine TV
- Molly Moss
Published: Tuesday, 15 September 2026 at 4:41 pm
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John Torode has revealed that he longer speaks to his former MasterChef co-host Gregg Wallace.
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Wallace was fired from the long-running BBC show back in July 2025 after more than 40 claims against him were upheld as part of an inquiry into his conduct.
Torode was then sacked shortly after, when an allegation against him using “an extremely offensive racist term” was upheld. The presenter insisted at the time that he had “no recollection” of the alleged racist term.
Speaking to The Times in a new interview about his life after MasterChef and the YouTube cooking series he now hosts with his wife and presenter Lisa Faulkner, Torode described his sacking as "stressful".
Asked about Wallace, he said he no longer has any interactions with his former co-host, saying: "When we filmed, we filmed, and when we didn’t, we weren't in touch. Why would it change now?"
John Torode. Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images
Torode went on to explain that he does not watch the series currently, and that he even refrained from watching it during his 20-year-long stint on the show.
"I watched it very, very infrequently because hearing your own voice is weird," he said. "But right now, I don’t think it's necessary for me to watch it."
However, he said that he "loved working with" current co-host Grace Dent, saying: "I want the legacy of MasterChef to survive for the champions and the 2,500 people who walked through those doors and I got the privilege to meet."
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When the allegation of using a racist term was first reported, Torode said at the time: "I have absolutely no recollection of any of this, and I do not believe that it happened.
"However, I want to be clear that I've always had the view that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment. I'm shocked and saddened by the allegation as I would never wish to cause anyone any offence."
Meanwhile, Wallace said after he was let go from the show that he was "deeply sorry for any distress" caused and that he "never set out to harm or humiliate", but noted that "none of the serious allegations against me were upheld".
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Authors
Molly MossTrends Writer
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
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