John Torode will no longer return to the British version of MasterChef. The BBC reports that the presenter’s contract will not be renewed due to racist language.
“This allegation, involving an extremely offensive racist term used in the workplace, has been confirmed after an independent investigation. The BBC takes this extremely seriously. We do not tolerate any form of racist language,” said a spokesperson for the British broadcaster.
Torode responded to the accusation earlier this week. “I have no recollection of this and do not believe it happened,” the presenter wrote in a statement on Instagram. “Let me be clear that racist language is absolutely unacceptable in any environment. I am shocked and saddened by the accusation, as I would never want to offend anyone.”
The British version of MasterChef was already in the news negatively at the end of last year after Gregg Wallace, the other presenter of the program, was accused of misconduct. 45 of the 83 complaints against him were upheld. On Monday, it was announced that Wallace would no longer return to the BBC program.
BBC boss Tim Davie thinks that MasterChef “absolutely” still has a future. “A great program that is loved by the public is much bigger than individuals,” Davie said. He did not want to say anything about the series recorded last year, in which both Wallace and Torode are featured.