Gregg Wallace's MasterChef replacement could spark even more tension with John Torode

With Gregg Wallace stepping down from MasterChef amid a BBC probe into inappropriate behaviour, attraction is turning to who could regenerate him - and what that would mean for John Torode

Gregg Wallace has recovered himself astatine the centre of a BBC probe into intersexual comments and inappropriate behaviour - but determination has been a deafening soundlessness from his co-star John Torode.

MasterChef big Gregg, 60, is facing complaints made against him spanning a 17 twelvemonth period, with galore celebrated faces coming guardant to archer their ain acquisition of the host. Ulrika Jonsson has claimed the presenter made a rape gag to a "distressed" contestant, portion adjacent Gogglebox prima Kate Bottley, a vicar, claims Wallace made "racist" comments astir an Asian contestant successful 2017.

Australian cook John Torode has truthful acold kept schtum astir his MasterChef colleague, though his wife, TV navigator and erstwhile exemplary Lisa Faulkner, has been much vocal astir her husband's workmate. When Lisa, 52, was speaking astatine the Cheltenham Literary Festival, she foretold the tempest that was astir to unfold erstwhile she openly discussed Wallace's fondness for tasteless jokes.

Speaking astatine the lawsuit successful October, she told her audience: "Gregg was telling - I’m astir apt not allowed to accidental this - Gregg conscionable told rude gag aft rude gag to the crew. You’re conscionable sitting determination and if you’re connected the beforehand seat conscionable chopping distant thinking, 'I’ve got 10 minutes left,' and he’s saying, 'So this miss walked into a bar…' And I’m going, 'Please I don’t privation to perceive this joke.'"

The Times reported that Torode enactment up a lacklustre defence for Wallace, saying helium had "changed". But adjacent if that was true, it seems to beryllium excessively little, excessively late, successful airy of caller events - and present determination is the anticipation that Lisa could beryllium eyed up to regenerate Wallace connected MasterChef.

With Torode yet to interruption his soundlessness connected the situation, a root has told the outlet that the brace are categorically "not friends", explaining that adjacent their nonrecreational narration is "looking shaky". They said: "John is really overmuch much of a delicate psyche but the information is that helium was contiguous successful the studios portion MasterChef was being filmed truthful you person to wonderment what helium saw, what did helium know?"

The root added: "Lisa is adored by viewers and tv bosses. She is very, precise bully for John’s marque and determination is nary uncertainty that showing himself with her is helping him and truthful MasterChef. They’ve got a amusement connected ITV which is popular, possibly adjacent she volition beryllium snapped up by MasterChef, if it survives, to regenerate Gregg."

Reports of Gregg and John's tumultuous narration person been circulating for years, with John erstwhile speaking astir however they person "never been friends". Opening up to The Mirror previously, John confessed: "It's funny, we've ne'er been friends. We've not been to each other's houses... If we spell distant to determination similar South Africa, we bash things separately... If we bash spell retired for a drink, I'll invariably beryllium astatine 1 extremity of a large aged array and he'll beryllium astatine the other."

He disclosed: "We've had a mates of standoffs implicit the years. I've conscionable had to locomotion distant from him," adding: "Once we had a spot excessively overmuch to portion and filming got called off. He got truly stubborn." John said Wallace was "ridiculous" implicit the disagreement.

But that whitethorn not archer the afloat story, with Gregg saying that Torode was really his champion antheral astatine 1 of his weddings. Gregg antecedently told PA: “People accidental that John and I don’t get on… We’ve been moving unneurotic face-to-face for 20 years. We knew each different for 10 years earlier that – John bought effect and veg disconnected maine – and helium was champion antheral astatine my wedding… He wasn’t champion antheral astatine each wedding, but helium was astatine the past one! You marque your caput up what’s going connected determination betwixt maine and Mr Torode.”

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