The inaugural champion of the relaunched MasterChef has spoken out about her distress over John Torode’s departure from the programme following a substantiated racism complaint.
Thomasina Miers, who triumphed in the 2005 series, revealed during a podcast appearance that she “felt awful for John” after learning about the upheld allegation.
The chef and restaurateur expressed her astonishment at the news during her conversation on Spooning with Mark Wogan.
“I felt awful for John. I mean, and also the elegance of his response to it, how he conducted himself,” Miers stated.
**ARE YOU READING THIS ON OUR APP? DOWNLOAD NOW FOR THE BEST GB NEWS EXPERIENCE**
The BBC confirmed last month that Torode’s contract would not be renewed after an independent investigation by law firm Lewis Silkin substantiated an allegation involving what was described as an extremely offensive racist term allegedly used in the workplace.
Torode has firmly rejected the accusation, stating he has no memory of the purported incident and maintains it never occurred.
His dismissal followed the departure of his long-time co-presenter Gregg Wallace, who faced 45 substantiated complaints.
The investigation by Banijay UK, the programme’s production company, confirmed allegations against Wallace that included unwelcome physical contact and three instances involving inappropriate states of undress.
The presenting duo had fronted the cookery competition together for nearly two decades since the show’s 2005 relaunch.
The BBC emphasised its zero-tolerance stance on racist language, instructing Banijay UK to take decisive action.
Both presenters have now been removed from all MasterChef programming, with the broadcaster confirming neither will return to future series.
Miers elaborated on her surprise, adding: “I think, yeah, I was kind of gobsmacked by John, who was so caring and intent on the people under his watch, under his care.”
The former presenter has garnered public backing from several celebrities, including Amanda Holden and McFly musician Danny Jones.
Both showed their support by engaging with Torode’s Instagram post from July 14, in which he acknowledged being the subject of the racial language allegation.
Torode addressed the matter publicly, maintaining that racial language is completely unacceptable in any setting.
His response to the investigation’s findings has been characterised by supporters as dignified, with Miers particularly noting the grace with which he handled the situation.
The presenter expressed both shock and sadness at the outcome of the investigation.
Miers secured victory in the first series of the revamped MasterChef two decades ago, subsequently establishing the Mexican street food chain Wahaca, which now operates 14 locations throughout the UK.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Harriet Cowan echoes Jeremy Clarkson as she hits out at Labour government amid tax raidChannel 4 Celebrity SAS stars ‘to get full pay’ despite sparking fury with early exits from showITV viewers beg for change as fans divided by ending of The Fortune Hotel: ‘How can you do that?’
The initial three episodes of the current series, filmed before the presenters’ departures, were released on iPlayer on Wednesday morning.
The broadcasts appear to have undergone editing, with noticeably fewer exchanges between the hosts and reduced interaction with contestants compared to typical episodes.
Anna Haugh has stepped in to replace Wallace for upcoming episodes scheduled to air next month, whilst Grace Dent was previously confirmed as his substitute for Celebrity MasterChef.
The BBC has yet to announce permanent replacements for the main series, with speculation mounting about potential new hosts including Matt Tebbutt and Tom Kerridge.
