John Torode has broken his silence after being dropped from MasterChef, saying he has “nothing to prove”, just hours after BBC boss Tim Davie was forced out amid mounting scandal.
The 60-year-old Australian chef was axed from the long-running cooking show in July following allegations that he had used “extremely offensive racist language” in 2018 — claims he says he has “no recollection” of.
Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Torode shared a reflective message on his Stories that read: “The best decision I ever made? To be quiet and move on. I have nothing to prove. I’m not here to convince anyone to love me or that I’m a great person.
“I’m not fixing what I didn’t break, and I’m not fighting for anyone to see my worth. Whatever you do is on you — and that’s your journey, not mine. As for me? I’m moving forward.”
His post came as the BBC plunged deeper into crisis following Davie’s dramatic exit after 20 years at the corporation.
The outgoing director-general had faced escalating scrutiny over impartiality and a series of damaging scandals during his tenure.
They include the prosecution of newsreader Huw Edwards over possession of indecent images of children, the sackings of both MasterChef hosts Gregg Wallace and Torode, and the backlash over a Glastonbury performance in which rapper Bob Vylan chanted “Death to the IDF” during the BBC’s live coverage.
Wallace, 61, stood down from MasterChef last November and was later dropped completely in July after an internal investigation upheld 45 allegations about his conduct, including inappropriate sexual language and unwanted physical contact.
Torode went on to host the show alongside Grace Dent before, he says, discovering via the BBC News website that he had been axed.
His wife, actor Lisa Faulkner, told the Daily Mail: “MasterChef will not be the same without John. But he’s doing OK.” Torode previously said: “Life goes on. I’ve had a lot of support and I’m very grateful.”
Meanwhile, Wallace is suing the BBC and one of its subsidiaries, claiming “distress and harassment” and seeking up to £10,000 in damages for alleged failure to disclose his personal data.
Despite the turmoil, the BBC plans to film two new Celebrity MasterChef Christmas specials this year, hosted by Grace Dent and Irish chef Anna Haugh, even though two festive episodes from 2024 have yet to air.
