John Torode says he faced racism complaint as it’s claimed BBC asked him to quit

John Torode was allegedly asked to resign from MasterChef after being accused of racism.

Torode’s former MasterChef co-host Gregg Wallace has been axed from the BBC show after it was revealed 45 complaints about his behaviour on MasterChef were upheld. He said he is “deeply sorry for any distress” caused in a statement about the report from MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK, into historic claims of misconduct against Wallace.

But now Wallace’s co-host John Torode, 59, has confirmed he is the subject of an allegation of using racist language – cited during a review into Wallace’s conduct. It’s claimed the chef made a racist remark on one occasion during a private conversation.

Torode himself said he does not believe the alleged incident happened, that he apologised immediately afterwards and did not intend to cause offence. He also insisted that he does not condone racist language in any way.

In a statement on Instagram, he said: “Following publication of the Executive Summary of the Investigation into Gregg Wallace while working on MasterChef, I am aware of speculation that I am one of the two other individuals against whom an allegation has been upheld.

“For the sake of transparency I confirm that I am the individual who is alleged to have used racial language on one occasion. The allegation is that I did so sometime between 2018 or 2019, in a social situation, and that the person I was speaking with did not believe that it was intended in a malicious way and that I apologised immediately afterwards.

“I have absolutely no recollection of any of this, and I do not believe that it happened. However, I want to be clear that I’ve always had the view that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment. I’m shocked and saddened by the allegation as I would never wish to cause anyone any offence.”

The BBC believed it was “2018 or 2019” but was unable to specify the time or date of the alleged offence, according to The Sun. It’s said that Torode did not receive a complaint about the alleged racist remark at the time.

It’s also claimed the BBC and Banijay asked John to resign from MasterChef last week – and claim he had mental health problems. Torode allegedly refused to do so.

A source close to Torode told the publication that he is “absolutely devastated” to have been dragged “into this mess”. They said he was he was alleged to have used an inappropriate racial term at a post-work drinks event after filming and that a witness said the chef apologised instantly and was “mortified” by it.

They also claimed he didn’t use the term as a “slur” and no-one complained at the time, but it was brought up during the inquiry. They added that Torode was only informed of the alleged incident two weeks ago and was told on Friday (July 11) that it would be upheld.

Daily Star has contacted the BBC for comment.

The BBC has apologised to “everyone who has been impacted by Mr Wallace’s behaviour”. In a statement, they admitted that “opportunities were missed to address” his conduct and that “more could and should have been done sooner”.

They added: “This behaviour falls below the values of the BBC and the expectations we have for anyone who works with or for us.” The broadcaster also confirmed they had cut ties with the presenter, saying: “In light of these findings, Banijay UK and the BBC have agreed Mr Wallace’s return to MasterChef is untenable. The BBC has informed Mr Wallace we have no plans to work with him in future.”

Wallace said he had been “cleared of the most serious and sensational accusations” made against him. He said “some of (his) humour and language missed the mark” and that he now sees “that certain patterns, shaped by traits I’ve only recently begun to understand, may have been misread.”

The presenter said he had received a “late autism diagnosis” which has helped him understand how he is “perceived”. He also criticised the BBC and claimed he had been subjected to a “trial by media”.

Wallace’s lawyers strongly deny the claims made against Wallace. They said: “It is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.”

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk