Masterchef’s John Torode has confirmed he was subject to an allegation of racist language inside the bombshell Gregg Wallace review.
The 59-year-old TV chef revealed the incident as part of the Silkins review looking into his co-presenter Wallace’s behaviour in which 45 allegations were upheld against out of a total of 83.
The report, commissioned by MasterChef production company Banijay UK, resulted in Wallace being officially removed from the BBC reality cooking show.
In a statement addressing the racist language allegation on his Instagram, Torode confirmed he was the individual ‘who is alleged to have used racist language on one occasion’ for the ‘sake of transparency’ after speculation.
He continued: ‘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.
‘I’m shocked and saddened by the allegation as I would never wish to cause anyone any offence.’
The latest revelations come after Wallace, 60, apologised following his axe from the show and the report coming out which detailed the upheld allegations including one case of ‘unwelcome physical contact’.
In a statement, the media personality said he was ‘deeply sorry’ and that he ‘never set out to harm or humiliate anyone’.
He added: ‘For a working-class man with a direct manner, modern broadcasting has become a dangerous place. I was the headline this time. But I won’t be the last.
‘There will be more casualties if the BBC continues down this path, where protecting its legacy matters more than protecting people. For my part, with full legal support, I will consider my next move.’
The majority of the substantiated allegations took place between 2005 and 2018 and related to ‘inappropriate sexual language and humour’, the report shared.
This also comes as the BBC decide whether to air the as-yet-unreleased filmed season of Masterchef featuring both Wallace and Torode.
‘We know this is disappointing for fans of the show and those who took part, and at the appropriate time Banijay UK will consult further with the amateur contestants,’ the BBC said in a statement regarding their decision.
There is currently no word on who will replace Wallace, although Grace Dent took over the position for the Celebrity Masterchef special after Wallace was initially removed at the end of last year.
Metro has reached out to the BBC for comment.
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