The BBC is to broadcast a series of MasterChef featuring Gregg Wallace and John Torode, filmed before the presenters were dropped after facing upheld allegations over their behaviour.
The corporation said airing the show was the “right thing to do” for the amateur chefs who took part. Producers spoke to contestants to ascertain whether they wanted the programme to be shown.
The show will be broadcast as normal on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 6 August. However, the editing of the programme will be looked at again to examine the prominence of the pair.
“MasterChef is an amazing competition which is life-changing for the amateur chefs taking part,” a BBC spokesperson said. “The focus of it has always been their skill and their journey.
“This has not been an easy decision in the circumstances and we appreciate not everyone will agree with it. In showing the series, which was filmed last year, it in no way diminishes our view of the seriousness of the upheld findings against both presenters. We have been very clear on the standards of behaviour that we expect of those who work at the BBC or on shows made for the BBC.
“However, we believe that broadcasting this series is the right thing to do for these cooks who have given so much to the process. We want them to be properly recognised and give the audience the choice to watch the series.”
BBC executives have been agonising over what to do with the series for weeks. Filming was all but complete when allegations over Wallace’s behaviour emerged at the end of last year. Torode appears throughout and Wallace appears in all episodes apart from the final.
Earlier this month, Wallace was dropped by the BBC after an independent report, commissioned by MasterChef’s producer, Banijay, substantiated 45 allegations made against him, including claims of inappropriate sexual language and one incident of unwelcome physical contact.
Wallace has said he was “deeply sorry for any distress caused” and he had “never set out to harm or humiliate”, but has said the report had cleared him of “the most serious and sensational accusations made against me”.
Torode was also dropped after he said he was the subject of a substantiated complaint over the use of racist language, which he believes never happened.
No decision has been made on the celebrity and Christmas editions of the show, which have already been filmed and feature Torode. The BBC said it would announce a decision on those later this year.
“Most importantly MasterChef is a brilliant, much-loved programme which is bigger than any one individual,” the BBC said. “There are many talented, dedicated and hard-working people who make the show what it is. It will continue to flourish on the BBC and we look forward to it returning stronger than ever in the future.”
MasterChef is hugely important for the BBC, featuring in its listings for the majority of the year. It has also invested in the show recently, with its move to state-of-the-art studios in Birmingham. The show is also a major cash cow for Banijay, with scores of versions of the show running around the world.
