BBC MasterChef John Torode's astonishing four-word remark about Gregg Wallace

Gregg Wallace has stepped down from his relation connected MasterChef, the fashionable BBC1 show, arsenic it is alleged the broadcaster wandered bare into the workplace with a sock pulled implicit his privates

John Torode had said helium and chap MasterChef big Gregg Wallace person "never been friends".

Despite presenting the hugely fashionable BBC1 programme with the erstwhile marketplace trader since 2005, Torode does his champion to debar his workfellow erstwhile the cameras halt rolling.

Even erstwhile the brace – arguably 1 of TV’s astir celebrated duos – movie successful far-flung and exotic places, they similar to support their distance, the Sunday Mirror revealed successful 2017 arsenic MasterChef prepared for its 13th bid since its revival.

This interrogation remains resonant present arsenic it emerged Wallace, 60, volition nary longer big MasterChef - for present - amid an probe into humanities allegations of misconduct going backmost to 2005. It's claimed the big wandered bare into the workplace with a sock pulled implicit his privates, among a fig of different acts.

When Torode spoke to america successful 2017, the present 59-year-old cook said: "We’ve ne'er been friends." Torode, from Melbourne, Australia, described his workfellow arsenic "so OCD" astatine the time, adding: "It’s funny, we’ve ne'er been friends. We’ve not been to each other’s houses… He’s truthful OCD, helium wouldn’t cognize what to do. He’d physique it up successful his caput for 3 days, and astir apt marque himself rather sick, past he’d person an statement with his woman and not crook up. If I went to his house, helium would consciousness similar helium wasn’t successful control." 

Torode has not commented connected the probe into Wallace's alleged behaviour since the afloat allegations emerged. Instead of acknowledging his colleague's departure, John uploaded a photograph to his Instagram stories extracurricular his section David Lloyd club in northbound London. Looking similar he'd had a bully workout, the cook captioned the station "Love spin" and added: "Another bloody large people convey you."   

Thirteen people, including erstwhile Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, person made complaints to the BBC astir humanities allegations. Wark, 69, appeared successful bid six of the Celebrity MasterChef rotation disconnected successful 2011, and claims that connected 2 occasions Wallace told stories and jokes of a "sexualised nature" successful beforehand of contestants and crew.

Wark said: "I deliberation radical were uncomfortable. We were fundamentally a captive audience. People looked embarrassed and conscionable got connected with their work. I was really much aggravated than thing else, due to the fact that I thought it was truthful inappropriate."

A BBC spokesperson said: “We instrumentality immoderate issues that are raised with america earnestly and we person robust processes successful spot to woody with them. We are ever wide that immoderate behaviour which falls beneath the standards expected by the BBC volition not beryllium tolerated. 

"Where an idiosyncratic is contracted straight by an outer accumulation institution we stock immoderate complaints oregon concerns with that institution and we volition ever enactment them erstwhile addressing them.”

Wallace's lawyers accidental it is "entirely false" that helium engages successful sexually harassing behaviour. Banijay UK, which produces the amusement for the BBC, confirmed Wallace volition beryllium "stepping away" from the programme.