JOHN TORODE DESCRIBES BBC SACKING FROM MASTERCHEF OVER RACE ROW

John Torode has said the BBC "spat him out" when it removed him from MasterChef following a row over race. Torode presented the long-running BBC cooking competition alongside Gregg Wallace for around two decades before his exit. He said the sacking left him "devastated". Torode did not set out the specific allegations that led to his dismissal in the comments reported. His remarks mark a rare public account of how the process affected him personally.

In the same comments, Torode explained why he agreed to be Wallace's best man. He did not disclose the specific reasons he gave for accepting the role. The disclosure indicates that Torode and Wallace have remained close following Torode's departure from MasterChef. Torode raised the subject alongside his description of how the sacking affected him. No further detail of any wedding arrangements was included in his remarks.

Torode's account gives his own characterisation of how the BBC handled his removal from the programme. He attributed the "spat him out" description specifically to the corporation's handling of the process, rather than to the row over race itself. The reports do not include any response from the BBC to Torode's specific comments. Torode's willingness to discuss both the sacking and his relationship with Wallace together suggests the two matters remain connected in how he has chosen to speak about the period. No further comment from Wallace on Torode's remarks was included in the reports.