MasterChef co-presenter John Torode has spoken out about an allegation following the investigation into Greg Wallace. On July 14, he posted a statement on Instagram, saying that he was accused of using a racial slur in the past. According to The Guardian, the allegation against Torode arose after an independent firm investigated Gregg Wallace. Besides confirming more than 50% of the claims against Wallace, it stated two other allegations against others without naming them.
Sharing the social media post, Torode stated that one of the two allegations was against him. He wrote:
“For the sake of transparency I confirm that I am the individual who is alleged to have used racial language on one occasion. The allegation is that I did so sometime in 2018 or 2019, in a social situation, and that the person I was speaking with did not believe that it was intended in a malicious way and that I apologised immediately afterwards.”
John Torode said he didn’t recall anything like that happening and didn’t believe it was true. He clarified that he has always thought using racist language was completely wrong. He felt shocked and sad about the accusation because he would never want to upset or hurt anyone.
When the accusations against Gregg Wallace first emerged in 2024, John Torode posted a statement on Instagram, writing:
“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. But as I hope everyone appreciates there is an investigation underway, which I fully support, so I cannot make any further comment at this stage, and I hope that you all understand and respect my silence on the matter moving forward.”
John Torode was reportedly directed to step down from his role
An exclusive report by The Sun published on July 14 claims that the BBC instructed John Torode to resign following the allegation. The broadcast company allegedly asked him to base the accusation on grounds of mental illness. Meanwhile, an insider told the outlet that Torode was overwhelmed by the allegation. They mentioned:
“He was at drinks after filming when he is alleged to have used an inappropriate racial term. The witness said he apologised instantly, and he was mortified. The witness even stated he didn’t use the term as a slur.”
The insider explained that no one complained about the incident when it happened, but it was mentioned later during the investigation. They said that John Torode was only told about it two weeks ago.
The person alleged that the company tried to pressure him to quit by claiming it would be too stressful, but he was shocked and upset. Torode reportedly told them he didn’t have any mental health issues and felt it was wrong to use mental health as an excuse, especially because it’s unfair to people who struggle with it.
According to an insider, John Torode enjoyed his work on MasterChef and was unwilling to lose his job because of what was happening with Wallace.
Also Read: Gregg Wallace addresses being fired from MasterChef.
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