John Torode has been removed from his role as presenter of MasterChef after an independent investigation upheld an allegation that he used a highly offensive racist term in the workplace.
The inquiry was conducted by law firm Lewis Silkin and involved both the BBC and production company Banijay UK.
The BBC confirmed that Torode’s contract would not be renewed. This follows a turbulent period for the long-running cooking competition, as his co-host Gregg Wallace was also recently dismissed after over 40 allegations of inappropriate behaviour were upheld. Wallace has denied all the accusations.
Torode responded with a statement on social media, saying he had no memory of the alleged comment, which reportedly happened during a social event in 2018 or 2019.
He also noted that the individual involved did not think it was meant to be malicious and that he had apologized at the time. Despite his denial, the investigation concluded the complaint was credible.
Torode, who has hosted MasterChef since 2005, revealed that the latest series of Celebrity MasterChef and two Christmas specials would be his last appearances.
He said he had enjoyed working on the show but accepted that it was time to move on.
BBC Director General Tim Davie stated that the language in question was unacceptable under any circumstances and said the broadcaster took the outcome of the investigation seriously.
He did not confirm whether the upcoming MasterChef series, already filmed with both Wallace and Torode, would still air.
Davie also addressed ongoing concerns within the organization, saying decisions about the show’s future would be announced soon.
He acknowledged the challenges facing the BBC amid recent controversies but stated that MasterChef would continue without its long-time hosts.