MasterChef has reportedly been thrown into chaos once again, after one of its new presenters pulled out just weeks before filming was set to begin.
Gregg Wallace and John Torode were both sacked from MasterChef earlier this year after two decades on the show.
An internal investigation upheld 45 complaints against Wallace, 60, including one of unwelcome physical contact. A further nine complaints against Torode, 60, were also supported, including one relating to the ‘use of racist language.’ He maintains he has no recollection of the incident in question.
Filming for the next series is scheduled to begin imminently, but West Country chef Tom Kerridge, 52, has reportedly dropped out of hosting duties alongside Grace Dent, 51.
A source told The Sun: ‘Tom and Grace are seen as a really safe pair of hands and the BBC thought they were the perfect fit for MasterChef.
‘Internally it’s been known for a long time that they’ll be presenting it together. People at the BBC and staff on MasterChef have all been talking about it.
‘The proposed deal was a one-year term for both Tom and Grace.
‘But in the last couple of weeks, there was a dispute over Tom’s contract and his pay.
They added: ‘It’s a nightmare for MasterChef and the BBC because filming for the next series is due to start imminently.
‘They need to get Tom locked down with Grace. But if he doesn’t get the deal he wants, they’ll be looking for a replacement.’
Saturday Kitchen star Matt Tebbutt and Great British Menu’s Andi Oliver were previously said to be taking over from Wallace and Torode.
Dent was confirmed to replace Wallace on Celebrity MasterChef shortly after his suspension in 2024, with filming already completed and the series ready to air later this year. It will be Torode’s final appearance on the show.
BBC’s Chief Content Officer, Kate Phillips, defended the broadcaster’s handling of Wallace at this week’s Edinburgh TV Festival.
‘I dealt with it straight away,’ Phillips said. ‘There were two complaints — I acted on them fast.
I think we weren’t as joined up in the BBC as we are now, so I didn’t know about some of the historical things that had taken place.
‘If I’d known about those at the time, yes, I may have acted differently. But I acted on the information I was given.’
MasterChef is contracted to air on the BBC until at least 2028. The final series featuring Wallace is currently airing after much internal debate over whether it should be broadcast at all.
Metro.co.uk has contacted a BBC spokesperson for comment on this story.
MasterChef is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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