Banijay UK, the production company behind MasterChef UK, confirmed in a statement that it had come to an agreement with the BBC not to renew Torode’s contract in light of the report, which was conducted by independent law firm Lewis Silkin.
It comes after Wallace was also sacked from his role on the show last week ahead of the report’s publication, which upheld 45 claims against the presenter that included multiple uses of sexual language and one of unwanted physical contact.
According to a BBC spokesperson, the allegation against Torode involved ‘an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace’.
Torode himself, who has presented and been a judge on MasterChef UK alongside Wallace since 2005, revealed on Monday (14 July) that he was the subject of an allegation of using racist language that was upheld as part of an inquiry into his co-presenter.
However, he claimed he had ‘no recollection of the incident’ and was ‘shocked and saddened’ by the allegation.
“For the sake of transparency, I confirm that I am the individual who is alleged to have used racial language on one occasion,” he said.
“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.
“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.”
A spokesperson for Banijay UK said yesterday (15 July): “In response to John Torode’s statement, it is important to stress that Banijay UK takes this matter incredibly seriously.
“The legal team at Lewis Silkin that investigated the allegations relating to Gregg Wallace also substantiated an accusation of highly offensive racist language against John Torode, which occurred in 2018.
“This matter has been formally discussed with John Torode by Banijay UK, and whilst we note that John says he does not recall the incident, Lewis Silkin have upheld the very serious complaint. Banijay UK and the BBC are agreed that we will not renew his contract on MasterChef.”
The BBC spokesperson added: “John Torode denies the allegation. He has stated he has no recollection of the alleged incident and does not believe that it happened. He also says that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment.
“The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously. We will not tolerate racist language of any kind and, as we have already said, we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken. John Torode’s contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.”
In an Instagram statement posted last night, Torode said he had yet to receive any formal communication from either the BBC or Banijay that he’d been sacked.
“Although I haven’t heard from anyone at the BBC or Banijay, I am seeing and reading that I’ve been ‘sacked’ from MasterChef and I repeat that I have no recollection of what I’m accused of,” he said
“The enquiry could not even state the date or year of when I am meant to have said something wrong.
“I’d hoped that I’d have some say in my exit from a show I’ve worked on since its relaunch in 2005, but events in last few seem to have prevented that.”
Banijay UK instructed Lewis Silkin to carry out the report into Wallace late last year after allegations of inappropriate behaviour were made against him to the BBC, including from broadcaster and journalist Kirsty Wark who said he told ‘sexualised’ jokes during filming of Celebrity MasterChef, on which she was a contestant in 2011.
At the time, Wallace’s lawyers said it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.
Over a seven-month period, the Silkin investigation heard 83 allegations against Wallace from 41 complainants – all relating to his time as a presenter on MasterChef.
The investigation substantiated 45 of the allegations, just over half, via a process of interviews with 78 witnesses and analysis of relevant documentation and unedited programme footage.
A summary of headline findings published this week revealed the majority of substantiated allegations related to inappropriate sexual language and humour.
A smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also substantiated, as was one allegation of unwanted physical contact.
The majority of the allegations related to behaviour which is said to have occurred between 2005 and 2018. Only one allegation was substantiated post 2018.
Banijay UK subsequently said the number of sustained allegations against Wallace made his return to MasterChef ‘untenable’.
A decision has not yet been made about whether an unseen series of MasterChef, which was filmed last year and features Wallace and Torode, will be broadcast.
Additionally, Torode has filmed a new series of Celebrity MasterChef with food critic Grace Dent taking Wallace’s place, along with two Christmas specials.
However, it is not currently clear if these will be broadcast either.