Celebrity MasterChef viewers unimpressed by ‘nonsense’ new series with axed John Torode

Celebrity MasterChef viewers have been left scratching their heads at the new series launch for a number of reasons.

Series 20 episode one kicked off on the BBC this evening, with celebrities including Blue’s Antony Costa, Paralympian Gaz Choudhry MBE, drag queen Ginger Johnson, actor Katie McGlynn and TV personality Uma Jammeh battling it out in the kitchen.

Firstly, some viewers were surprised to see presenter John Torode still judging the celebrities following his axe in July after 20 years presenting the show.

While the BBC confirmed this series would air with episodes including John which were filmed before his contract was terminated, some viewers thought they wouldn’t see him on their screens again.

‘I thought John had been sacked aswell?!?’ asked @ems280204 on social media, while @pavarottishighc said: ‘I thought John got sacked an all?’

MrRockingGooner said, ‘John: “It’s Celebrity MasterChef and we are back,”‘ before noting: ‘You’re not back for long fella.’

Torode was sacked from MasterChef after he was found to have used a racial slur during a staff party in 2018. The TV chef insisted he had ‘no recollection’ of the incident ever taking place.

This incident was uncovered while the alleged behaviours of his co-star Gregg Wallace were being investigated in a review.

Wallace had 45 out of 83 allegations against him upheld, including an instance of unwanted physical contact, while the accusation of Torode using racial language was also substantiated. Wallace denied the most serious accusations against him, and was sacked at the same time as Torode.

Elsewhere in the episode, Celebrity MasterChef fans were left unimpressed with the quality of challenges on the series, as a blindfolded taste test saw contestants mistake blocks of strawberries for kiwi, and pineapple for melon.

‘This taste test is poor. It’s an orange. It’s a carrot. It’s a pineapple, not a melon. How does this prove they can cook? Silly nonsense,’ said @philm2244.

‘They’re showing their skills identifying basic fruit and veg?’ asked @damo_war, while @Dd1201Diane added: ‘My god, this is like a kids challenge.’

‘They have seriously dumbed down this episode,’ said @niallemmett.

Grace Dent joins Torode as the new judge of MasterChef this series, and will continue on in her role without him alongside Anna Haugh, 45, an Irish chef and former protégée of Gordon Ramsay.

‘I absolutely adore John Torode,’ she told The Sunday Times in a recent interview.

‘He is one of the kindest, most concerned, clever, thoughtful men that I know.’

She added that they are friends for life, and his career is entering a post-MasterChef era.

The BBC and MasterChef production company Banijay UK confirmed in July that Torode’s contract with the cooking series will not be renewed.

In response to the news of his axe, Torode took to his own social media claiming he was blindsided by the decision.

‘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 wrote.

‘The enquiry could not even state the date or year of when I am meant to have said something wrong.’

The chef continued: ‘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 days seem to have prevented that. Over the past few months, I have been considering my life and the shape of it now and in the future.

‘Celebrity MasterChef, which I recently filmed with Grace Dent along with two fantastic Christmas specials will be my last. Personally, I have loved every minute working on MasterChef, but it’s time to pass the cutlery to someone else. For whoever takes over, love it as I have.’

He added that he will continue to watch the show fondly ‘from afar’ and added that sometimes ‘personal happiness’ lies elsewhere.

A BBC spokesperson responded: ‘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.’

Celebrity MasterChef airs on BBC One on weekday evenings and is available to watch on iPlayer.

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