ITV make decision on John Torode and Lisa Faulkner show after MasterChef sacking!
John Torode and Lisa Faulkner met on MasterChef, and later fell in love after their respective marriages ended – later going on to launch their own cooking show together on ITV
ITV are set to stand by John Torode and give his TV career a lifeline, the Mirror can reveal.
Multiple sources at the channel said there were “no current changes to scheduling” for the weekend. This means the third episode of John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen will go out at 11.40am on Saturday. He hosts the show with wife Lisa Faulkner and it is the 10th anniversary series on air.
It follows Torode being sacked as MasterChef presenter after an allegation against him using “an extremely offensive racist term” was upheld.
One ITV source said: “I think we will keep going with the show. We don’t know the details of the BBC issue and have never had any trouble with him ourselves.
“We obviously have our own complaints handling procedure and a code of conduct for talent at ITV. There have been no issues raised with John so the series is set to continue to air.”
Torode followed his MasterChef co-host Gregg Wallace out of the door at the BBC for allegedly using racist language.
John & Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen returns for a brand new series (
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ITV)
The Australian star continues to insist he had no knowledge of the “offensive” comment he was accused of making, despite lawyers Lewis Silkin upholding the complaint, said to be from 2018 in their independent investigation into the series.
It came after the firm upheld 45 out of 83 claims against Wallace, 60, including “unwanted physical contact”, “being in a state of undress”, bullying and inappropriate jokes.
MasterChef production company Banijay UK said it had discussed the matter with Torode and with the BBC and that they “are agreed that we will not renew his contract on MasterChef “.
But in a statement released on Tuesday night, Torode said: “Although I haven’t heard from anyone at the BBC or Banijay, I am seeing and reading I’ve been ‘sacked’ from MasterChef. I repeat that I have no recollection of what I’m accused of. The enquiry could not even state the date or year of when I am meant to have said something wrong.”
Grace Dent is tipped to replace Gregg Wallace after he was dismissed over dozens of allegations (
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BBC)
He said Celebrity MasterChef, which he recently filmed with food critic Grace Dent, along with two Christmas specials, would be his last.
“Personally, I have loved every minute working on MasterChef, but it’s time to pass the cutlery to someone else.”
Speaking to BBC News on Tuesday afternoon, BBC Director General Davie described the allegation against Torode as “a serious racist term which does not get to be acceptable in any way shape or form”.
“It’s really important we are taking this seriously,” he said. “We’ve drawn a line in the sand.”
So far Gregg Wallace has yet to react to the news his co-star John has also left the BBC, where they both held their positions for 20 years.
speaking on Monday, after the report into his conduct was released, Wallace said he was ‘relieved’ everything was out in the open and apologised for his actions.
In his statement, Wallace said: “I’m relieved that the Banijay report fully recognises that my behaviour changed profoundly in 2018. Some of my humour and language missed the mark. I never set out to harm or humiliate. I always tried to bring warmth and support to MasterChef, on screen and off.
“After nearly 20 years on the show, I now see that certain patterns, shaped by traits I’ve only recently begun to understand, may have been misread. I also accept that more could have been done, by others and by myself, to address concerns earlier.”
“A late autism diagnosis has helped me understand how I communicate and how I’m perceived. I’m still learning.”
