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MasterChef co-host John Torode has said the allegations surrounding Gregg Wallace are “really disturbing” as he addresses reports of misconduct on set for the first time.
Australian TV presenter, who has presented the show alongside Wallace since 2005, said he “loves being a part” of the program and will “continue to be a part of it” after his longtime co-host steps down in the course of an investigation into his conduct.
Torode, who was best man at Wallace’s wedding in 2016, said in a statement on Instagram that he found the recent reports “really disturbing” and that it was “horrible to think that everyone who appeared on our show didn’t have a brilliant experience”.
“I’ve been away filming MasterChef overseas since last Friday,” he wrote. “I love my job and I love MasterChef. I love being a part of it and will continue to be a part of it.
“Over the last few days I’ve been trying to make the best cooking show, so being busy making the show and taking care of our contestants has given me a little time to think about anything else, but it’s been difficult.”
He added: “But as I hope everyone appreciates that an investigation is ongoing, which I fully support, so I cannot make any further comment at this stage and I hope you will all understand and respect my silence on this matter which it goes on.”
His statement comes after the BBC decided to ax two MasterChef Christmas specials after allegations of “groping” came to light.
Torode became a familiar face to TV audiences in 1996 as head chef on ITV’s This Morning before joining former greengrocer Gregg on MasterChef in 2005.
The men met in the 1990s when Wallace, a greengrocer in London’s top restaurants for more than 20 years, began supplying one of Torode’s establishments.
Wallace told the PA news agency in 2007: “The first time we went out for a drink together was when we started MasterChef.”
“John would never fraternize with suppliers,” he added.
There have been rumors over the years that the men don’t get along off-screen, although Wallace has previously said that Torode is “very fond of him”.
Speaking about the dinner he had with Torode, Wallace told PA in 2012: “We had some really good red wine and finished with a few brandies. We talked about love, life, weight loss, hair loss – I really like John.”
In 2017, Torode made headlines after claiming he was “never friends” with Wallace.
He said in an interview with The Mirror: “Funny, we were never friends. We didn’t go to each other’s houses. If we go somewhere like South Africa, we do things separately. If we do go out for a drink, I’ll always be at one end of the big old table and he’ll be at the other.”
However, Torode was best man during Wallace’s wedding to Anne-Maire Sterpini in 2016 and, despite his attempts to seemingly distance himself from his co-host, Wallace said in the episode Lorraine that same year: “I shoot with John six or seven months a year, so we’re very close to each other physically, and we’re very close to each other emotionally.
“What’s great about the partnership is that if one of you is a bit off, a bit down, the other naturally steps up, so I lean on John a lot.”
Last week Banijay UK, the production company behind the BBC show, announced that Wallace would “step down from his role on MasterChef” following complaints from individuals about historical allegations of misconduct.
On Tuesday night, Wallace, 60, faced new allegations with BBC News reporting that one woman said he touched her bottom after the event and another said he pressed his crotch against her while filming another show.
The new allegations come after the house reported claims made by 13 people in a series of shows over a 17-year period, and many others shared their experiences.
His lawyers have previously vehemently denied that “he engages in sexually harassing behavior,” according to BBC News.
A BBC spokesman previously said the corporation takes all issues raised with it “seriously” and is clear that “any behavior that falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated”. The broadcaster added that it would be “inappropriate” to comment in the middle of Banijay UK’s external review.