John Torode has finally broken his silence with a statement about the scandal surrounding his MasterChef co-host Gregg Wallace.
The statement, posted on John’s Instagram, comes after Gregg reportedly unfollowed his long-time co-host John Torode and his wife, Lisa Faulkner, on Instagram.
Earlier this week, sources close to Wallace claimed he was “absolutely furious” that Torode has not publicly supported him amidst the storm of allegations against his behaviour.
Now, John has broken his silence, not mentioning Gregg by name and explaining the “upset” the stories have caused him.
John Torode issues statement
Wallace is facing allegations of inappropriate behaviour from 13 individuals spanning nearly two decades on BBC shows, including MasterChef.
While Wallace has denied any misconduct, the silence from John Torode, his professional partner of nearly 20 years, reportedly left him feeling betrayed.
Today (December 4), John has released a statement.
It reads: “Since last Friday I have been away filming MasterChef overseas. I love my job and I love MasterChef. I love being part of it and I will continue to be part of it.
“During the last few days, I’ve been trying to make the best cookery programme, so being busy making the show and caring for our contestants has allowed me little time to think about anything else, but that has been hard.
“The thought of anyone who has appeared on our show not having a brilliant time has been awful to hear. And I have found the press report truly upsetting.
“But as I hope everyone appreciates, there is an investigation underway, which I fully support. So I cannot make any further comment at this stage. I hope that you all understand and respect my silence on the matter moving forward.”
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‘Gregg furious’
John’s statement came amid claims Gregg was annoyed over his silence.
“Gregg is absolutely furious and is convinced he has done nothing wrong,” a close source claimed to The Sun.
“Seeing John keeping quiet amid all of this has irked him hugely. Gregg and John have been colleagues for almost two decades, and while they aren’t the closest of friends, Gregg feels John could say something.
“He has deleted them from his Instagram account now and unfollowed both of them.”
Entertainment Daily has approached Gregg Wallace’s representatives for comment.
Inside MasterChef hosts’ friendship
Gregg previously insisted that he and John have a very close relationship.
In an interview on Lorraine earlier this year, Gregg said: “I film with John six or seven months of the year, so we are very close to each other physically, and emotionally we are very close to each other.”
However, John’s silence may be due to him viewing their relationship differently. And, while Gregg has publicly spoken about their bond, John has suggested that their connection is more professional than personal.
In a 2017 interview with The Mirror, John said: “It’s funny, we’ve never been friends. We’ve not been to each other’s houses. If we go away to somewhere like South Africa, we do things separately. If we do go out for a drink, I’ll invariably be at one end of a big old table and he’ll be at the other.”
‘Massive fight’
John also admitted that the hosting duo have had their fair share of fights.
“Once, we had a bit too much to drink and filming got called off,” he recalled. “We ended up having a massive fight about one of the contestants and he got really stubborn – it was ridiculous.
“We’ve had a couple of standoffs over the years, and I’ve just had to walk away from him.”
Gregg Wallace latest as Lisa returns to social media
The allegations against Gregg have dominated headlines, with claims from high-profile figures including Rod Stewart and Ulrika Jonsson. The accusations range from inappropriate jokes and comments to allegedly removing his shirt in front of a female staff member.
Gregg’s own response, which included blaming a “handful of middle-class women of a certain age”, resulted in further backlash, with many branding his comments misogynistic and dismissive.
Wallace stepped down from MasterChef last week as production company Banijay UK confirmed they had launched an investigation into the allegations. The BBC this week (December 3) revealed it has axed the Christmas special episodes of Celebrity MasterChef as a result.
Meanwhile, Lisa Faulkner has returned to social media with an emotional post following the scandal.
She shared a picture of herself with her beloved grandmother. In the caption, Lisa said: “Happy heavenly birthday Nanna. I miss you so much.”
John hasn’t posted to Instagram for a week.
Read now: Every shock allegation made about Gregg Wallace as he steps down from MasterChef
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