MasterChef viewers have accused the BBC of “disgraceful” editing after spotting what appeared to be repeated and awkwardly cut clips of axed host Gregg Wallace in the latest episode.
Wallace and his long-time co-presenter John Torode were dropped from the cooking competition last month, following nearly two decades on air, after an investigation upheld multiple misconduct allegations.
Wallace faced 40 upheld complaints, including claims of inappropriate on-set behaviour, while Torode was found to have used a racist term in 2018.
The current series was filmed before their dismissal, with producers confirming the pair would still appear but with less screen time and minimal screentime.
Two contestants have also requested to be removed from episodes to avoid being seen alongside the former presenters.
And now amid the furore, fans watching Wednesday night’s episode noticed the same shot of Wallace’s face, that of a fixed grin, used multiple times in quick succession.
@gingernatdsn Clever editing from #masterchef #masterchefuk whether this is to do with the allegations or not I don’t know but it’s jokes how they just froze Gregg Wallace for an entire conversation
♬ original sound - GINGERNAT DESIGN
One TikTok user Gingernat Design pointed out the editing gaf, captioning their post: “Clever editing from MasterChef.
“Whether this is to do with the allegations or not I don't know, but it's jokes how they just froze Gregg Wallace for an entire conversation.”
A viral TikTok clip highlighted the repeated footage, showing Wallace’s frozen expression appearing three times during a conversation between Torode and a contestant.
Reactions on social media ranged from disbelief to “awkward” and “petty.”
“I saw this and it looked absolutely demented,” one wrote.
Another commented: “Is this for real?” while a third penned: “I'm crying and they picked a clip where he looks SO dodgy. Not helpful at all considering the recent allegations.”
Under the same clip, another user, who claimed they work in TV production, suggested that the team behind the show used an industry editing trick.
“I work in post production in UK TV (not for the BBC or on Masterchef though), and based on the turnaround time, it was probably the quickest fix they could do, “ they clarified.
“Just reuse the previous shot to cover up any cut content. The Hosts certainly wouldn't be able to be completely edited out, however, unless they reshot all their bits with new hosts and spliced them in, but that wouldn't really ever happen due to money.”
The Standard has contacted Banijay UK for comment on the claims about the apparent repetitive edits.
The viewer commentary comes after a second contestant was edited out of the latest series of MasterChef.
A Banijay spokesperson told The Standard: “One other contributor decided that given recent events they would like not to be included.
“We have of course accepted their wishes and edited them out of the show.”
BBC News reported that the contestant has requested anonymity and will not appear in any capacity.
MasterChef is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now and airs on BBC One.
