MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has found himself at the height of a public scandal recently due to allegations about his behaviour on set.
While Gregg has denied the claims levelled against him, he has stepped away from the show while production firm Banijay UK investigates.
But it seems his pal John Torode was also aware of his behaviour on set. And even raised his concerns to bosses at Banijay UK, who makes the programme, not the BBC.
It’s also believed that since the allegations have come to light, John and his wife Lisa Faulkner are keen to publicly distance themselves from the scandal.
John Torode voiced Gregg Wallace concerns to MasterChef bosses
A source alleged to The Sun: “John is not stupid – of course, he was aware of some of Gregg’s less savoury behaviour. He did not condone it, and nor did he engage with it. He does not have a machismo sense of humour and when he made the comment about the pair of them not being friends in real life, he knew what he was doing.”
The source believes John’s comment was a “way of distancing himself when attempts to do it otherwise failed”.
They continued by explaining John even raised his concerns to hs bosses at Banijay – only to have them ignored.
“He repeatedly flagged his behaviour and poor-taste remarks to execs on set and made it clear he wasn’t happy. It was never a formal complaint, rather a series of spoken concerns raised.”
While the source insists John “does not know whether any formal record was ever made”, he always believed the “bosses needed to protect the MasterChef brand”. And so it’s claimed that they turned “a blind eye”.
John Torode responds to Gregg scandal
As for John and his wife’s reaction to the news, they are said to be so “mortified” by it all, they are considering “hiring a PR” to help handle the situation.
The comments come after John spoke on Instagram about the recent MasterChef scandal.
At the time, he confirmed he “will continue” to be a part of the show. He also expressed his upset of “anyone who has appeared on our show not having a brilliant experience”.
The friendship between the pair seems to have truly broken as they no longer follow each other on social media.
While the investigation is ongoing, BBC has taken the decision to cancel the upcoming MasterChef Christmas specials.
ED! has reached out to Gregg and Banijay UK for comment.
Read more: Richard Osman apologises for defending Gregg Wallace
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