John Torode ‘loves being part of’ MasterChef and will continue to be part of it

MasterChef presenter John Torode has said he “loves being part of” the programme and “will continue to be a part of it” after Gregg Wallace stepped back from the show amid an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

Australian-born Torode, who has presented the BBC One cooking show alongside Wallace since 2005, said in a statement on Instagram he found the recent reports “truly upsetting” and the “thought of anyone who has appeared on our show not having a brilliant experience is awful to hear”.

He said: “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 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.”

He added: “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 and I hope that you all understand and respect my silence on the matter moving forward.”

On Tuesday the BBC announced that two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials, a Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off and a Strictly Festive Extravaganza, have been pulled from its festive schedule.

The BBC said: “As we have said, MasterChef is an amazing competition which is life-changing for the chefs taking part and the current series of MasterChef: The Professionals is continuing as planned.

“The celebrity Christmas specials are obviously a different type of show and in the current circumstances we have decided not to broadcast them.”

Three episodes of BBC Two’s Inside The Factory, which are repeats, are also coming out of the schedule, but the current series of MasterChef: The Professionals remains on air.

Torode became a familiar face to TV audiences in 1996 as the resident chef on ITV’s This Morning.

MasterChef launched in 2005 as a revamped version of the original 1990-2001 series, which was hosted by Loyd Grossman.

The revamped 2005 series, which was called MasterChef Goes Large and was won by Thomasina Miers, reverted to its original name in 2008.

The success of the programme led to spin-off shows such as Junior MasterChef, Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals.

Last week Banijay UK, the production company behind the BBC show, announced that Wallace would be “stepping away from his role on MasterChef” following complaints from individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct.

Banijay UK announced an “immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate” and said that Wallace was “committed to fully cooperating throughout the process”.

On Tuesday night Wallace, 60, faced fresh allegations with BBC News reporting that one woman said he touched her bottom after an event and another said he pressed his crotch against her while filming on a different show.

The new allegations came after the outlet reported claims from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period, with many others since sharing their experiences.

His lawyers have previously strongly denied “he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”, according to BBC News.

Wallace apologised on Monday for claiming complaints about his behaviour came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”, adding he will now “take some time out”.

It came after his statement sparked a backlash, with Downing Street saying his response to the accusations was “inappropriate and misogynistic”.

A BBC spokesperson previously said the corporation takes any issues that are raised with it “seriously” and is clear that “any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated”.

The broadcaster added that it would be “inappropriate” to comment amid the external review by Banijay UK.