Matt Tebbutt has claimed that his MasterChef: The Professionals exit after just one series ‘could have been handled a lot better.’
The TV chef, 52, was announced as the new presenter for the 18th edition of the series alongside mainstay judges Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti, replacing the scandal-hit Gregg Wallace, in September 2025.
Previously, it had been teased as a new era for the spin-off show after Matt joined the team, with the production moving to a new studio location in Birmingham.
However, last month it was revealed that Matt would not return for the next series of the spin-off MasterChef format, which sees professional cooks compete against each other.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme, Matt was asked by presenter Jaega Wise about how difficult his exit from the show was.
‘It was, yes, of course it is,’ he said. ‘I mean, I’m not going to say I wasn’t upset. I was really upset. And it could have been handled a lot better. But it is what it is.
‘You know, there’s worse things going on. You’ve got to be pretty resilient. It’s part of the game, really.
‘I guess it’s like if you’re a politician, you’re going to get knocks. So it’s just par for the course, I think.’
Despite saying that he ‘really enjoyed’ his stint on the show, Matt admitted that he went into it knowing it was a ‘tough gig’ after Wallace was dismissed by the BBC last July following an independent review last year.
The review upheld 45 out of 83 misconduct allegations against Wallace, who also co-presented the spin-off Celebrity MasterChef.
He issued an apology saying he was ‘deeply sorry for any distress caused’ and that he ‘never set out to harm or humiliate’ anyone.
Explaining the challenge he faced joining MasterChef, Matt continued: ‘Walking into such an established show, whatever had happened before, you don’t want to be that guy that turns up and steamrollers everything.
‘To then go in and get to know the personalities of Monica and Marcus, and get to know the crew and still do your job and deliver, it was a lot.’
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This comes after Matt challenged reports that he had been axed from the programme in March.
Taking to Instagram, the presenter said that he was ‘only ever doing one series’ of the cooking programme.
In a statement shared on the social media site, he wrote: ‘A lot of lovely people have contacted me about not doing the next series of MasterChef: The Professionals.
‘I was only ever doing one series and I loved judging on it, and will continue working with MasterChef.’
In March, a BBC spokesperson told Metro: ‘No decisions have been made yet about the presenting line up for the future series of MasterChef. We won’t comment on speculation.’
The latest series also had a rotation of guest judges in the format.
Metro has contacted the BBC for comment.
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