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When Banijay, the producers of MasterChef, held a dinner attended by its top executives, programme makers and presenters almost two weeks ago, the longevity of its wildly successful cooking show was among the achievements to be toasted, alongside its move to state-of-the-art studios in Birmingham.
Yet just hours before guests arrived, a social media post from MasterChef’s erstwhile presenter Gregg Wallace began a nightmare fortnight that has left one of the BBC’s most important shows in need of not one, but two new judges. It has also left some in the TV world wondering if the show requires a wider refresh.
Before a long-waited report on the allegations over his behaviour, Wallace’s five-page post included an admission he had used inappropriate language, but he claimed to have been “cleared of the most serious and sensational accusations”. He also revealed a recent autism diagnosis and complained of facing an “incredible injustice”.
At Banijay’s dinner, its boss, Patrick Holland, made no attempt to dodge Wallace’s outburst, instead emphasising the amount of work that had gone into the lawyer-led report. As they made small talk over the crab salad, his executives already knew the show was about to be plunged into deeper peril.
Wallace’s fellow presenter, John Torode, was also the subject of a substantiated complaint in the report. He wasn’t named, but given the furore it seemed unlikely his identity would be kept under wraps for long.
When the report finally arrived on Monday, it substantiated 45 allegations against Wallace. Meanwhile, Torode opted to reveal he was the subject of a substantiated complaint over the use of racist language, which he believes never happened.
Richard Osman, whose House of Games show is part of the Banijay stable, said on his The Rest Is Entertainment podcast this week that Torode had been accused of using “the worst racial slur there is”. The Sun reported Torode used the word when he repeated lyrics from Kanye West’s track Gold Digger at an after-work gathering six or seven years ago. He denies the incident took place.
BBC bosses concluded Wallace could not change his behaviour and wrote to him telling him so. Banijay and the BBC opted not to renew Torode’s contract. However, Torode will continue to be something of a spectre at the feast for the rest of the year, having already filmed Christmas specials.
“It’s been a complete mess,” said Scott Bryan, a TV critic and broadcaster. “This is a show which features judges reviewing food. How could it result in the loss of two presenters from a really big, well-known programme so quickly? To lose one presenter is bad enough. To lose two this quickly feels shocking and surprising.
“Particularly in light of everything that’s happened, this is an opportunity for both the BBC and Banijay to wipe the slate clean. When a show starts with a new lineup of presenters, it does attract new audiences who would want the show to feel fresh.”
A mess it may be, but the overwhelming feeling in the television world is that even such a high-profile crisis will not dislodge the show’s status as a broadcasting behemoth.
The safety of its long-term status is down to its undimmed appeal, producing multiple new adaptations every year even after three decades. Four new versions were launched globally in 2024, according to analysis by K7 Media, with 25 existing versions returning to screens last year. There have so far been more than 60 versions of the show launched globally. It is a major money-spinner, even spawning its own line of kitchenware.
For the BBC, meanwhile, it is a cornerstone of traditional schedules. In any given week, it is more likely than not that some version of the show is on the airwaves. As a result, the appetite for doing something radical – either a break or an overhaul – is low.
Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, has already thrown his weight behind the show – the corporation is tied to production until 2028. It has also invested in moving production to Birmingham, where it is now filmed in the old Banana Warehouse building in Digbeth. The move has helped its claims to be driving jobs out of London, something the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, is watching closely.
Other insiders say a radical rebrand is simply unnecessary, claiming there have never been questions about the format’s popularity.
Producers are also lucky to have an ample pool of potential presenters to replace Wallace and Torode. Chefs Monica Galetti and Marcus Wareing already take on those duties on MasterChef: The Professionals, while the food critic Grace Dent co-hosts Celebrity MasterChef. Saturday Kitchen Live’s Matt Tebbutt is regarded as a frontrunner for one of the roles.
If the long-term future of the show looks safe enough, the BBC is still left with a knotty short-term problem. The latest series of MasterChef has been delivered, but not shown. Wallace appears in all of it apart from the final – Torode appears throughout.
The BBC has already been speaking to contestants about what to do with the series. Davie is very keen to press ahead, given the effort they have put in. Figures close to the show are also pushing for it to be shown, arguing the presenters have never been the core of the title.
“The programme is filled with warmth, support and leaves a legacy of life-changing proportions for the contestants,” said one. “The headlines really don’t share the love that there is across the incredible team and family of winners and finalists who adore and care passionately about what they do.”
There could be one last unwelcome flurry before things improve for MasterChef’s makers. Comments from Wallace’s social media missive that began the barrage of bad news still hang over them. He made it clear he “will not go quietly”.
While an updated post from Wallace no longer includes those remarks, both Banijay and the BBC are braced for a further media outing from one or both of their former presenters.
Perhaps at that point they can once again focus on the programme’s strengths. As one despairing and perplexed MasterChef insider observed at the end of a bruising fortnight: “The star of the show was always the food.”
