How Series Survives Gregg Wallace, John Torode Scandal

MasterChef is “much bigger than individuals” and can “absolutely survive and prosper.”

That proclamation was delivered with vigor by BBC Director General Tim Davie earlier this week when grilled by journalists about the misconduct scandal that claimed the jobs of UK MasterChef presenters Gregg Wallace and John Torode in a manic few days.

Wallace’s sacking has felt inevitable in recent months and was rubberstamped by Lewis Silkin’s review into his behavior over a near 20-year period, with Banijay UK boss Patrick Holland calling his position “untenable.” Wallace apologized for using “inappropriate language” between 2005 and 2018, but denied more serious allegations.

More surprising was his friend and co-host Torode, who is exiting after the same review substantiated a complaint that he once used racist language, later reported by The Times of London to be the n-word. It’s an allegation Torode says he has no recollection of and “I do not believe that it happened.”

Both presenters have been in the MasterChef kitchen for two decades and can claim credit for helping turn the format into a world-straddling behemoth, worth €288M ($334M) to Banijay last year alone, according to its annual report. So, if the starting point is that the golden goose survives the scandal, what’s cooking for MasterChef’s future?

Season 21 Dilemma

Whatever happens, MasterChef is secure on the BBC until 2028, thanks to a deal signed with Banijay in 2022. In the short term, there is the small matter of what the BBC will do with Season 21, which was filmed last year and features both Wallace and Torode. The season should have premiered by now, but the BBC held it back while waiting for Lewis Silkin’s findings.

“Having a civilian MasterChef in the can is the absolute worst position for them to be in,” said a senior producer source who used to work on the show. Behind closed doors, the BBC is balancing at least three factors: the welfare of those who made allegations, the expectations of amateur chefs who competed in Season 21, and audience clamor for the cooking contest.

Deadline is told by a number of sources that the BBC is leaning towards showing the series, most likely on both linear TV and iPlayer. This would track with Davie’s remarks at the BBC annual report press briefing earlier this week, when he said his “overwhelming concern” is for the amateur chefs who “gave their heart and soul” to the show. Sources questioned why Davie would call out the chefs so specifically if he wasn’t in favor of the season airing. BBC insiders said no decision has been made.

One producer, who has overseen similar shows to MasterChef, noted that legal issues could arise if the BBC keeps the series on the shelf. “Both presenters being fired for historical workplace transgressions is a very specific situation,” he added. “Depending on how the contracts they signed are specifically worded, it’s perfectly possible that a motivated contestant who committed time and therefore money to participate might get a decent lawyer to argue the BBC is in breach of contract.”

The BBC could opt to try and edit out Wallace and Torode (a tactic deployed on The Repair Shop host Jay Blades, who was charged by police last year for controlling or coercive behaviour towards his wife), but this would be difficult due to the sheer number of scenes they appear in.

The decision will ultimately rest with Kate Phillips, in what will be one of the biggest calls she will make since being promoted to chief content officer last month. MasterChef, a show she oversaw in her previous incarnation as the BBC’s unscripted boss, has guaranteed her a baptism of fire.

‘MasterChef’ Makeover

Once the Season 21 dilemma has been resolved, attention will turn to who replaces Wallace and Torode. Those who used to work on the show tell us that contingency plans for the presenters were always mulled over, but never to any great degree, so the field is open.

Food critic Grace Dent stepped in to replace Wallace on Season 20 of Celebrity MasterChef, which filmed earlier this year. She is widely seen as a frontrunner to replace Wallace permanently, but some think she is actually better suited to Torode’s role. Torode was steeped in food craft, while Wallace was seen as having a better touch with contestants. An ex-MasterChef employee speculated that Dent would work well with a figure who can “stitch the chefs’ stories together.”

Two people floated Great British Bake Off host Alison Hammond as an exemplar. She is not necessarily a food expert but is a presenter who exudes warmth and charisma, and is familiar with the MasterChef kitchen, having competed in the celebrity competition in 2014. Hammond is also from Birmingham, the city in which MasterChef is based.

The BBC and Banijay could also opt for a comedian, the source suggested. The likes of Ed Gamble, a BBC rising star who has been a judge on Great British Menu and hosts the popular Off Menu podcast, could be considered if the BBC goes down this route. Others linked included Matt Tebbutt, host of Saturday Kitchen (the BBC show on which Wallace was originally spotted when he appeared as a guest), and Instagram-famous Poppy O’Toole.

John Silver, the producer who worked with MasterChef creator Franc Roddam to reboot the series in 2005, says the show does not need “big, starry, look at me, presenter types.” Having cast Wallace and Torode, both unknown quantities on TV at the time, Silver says they were “passionate food practitioners,” who were rooting for the competitors, and this resonated with viewers.

Another key ingredient, he adds, is that the presenters communicate to audiences and contestants that the competition really matters — that the food is almost “life and death.” Wallace was particularly deft at this, Silver explains, and he became known for his catchphrase: “Cooking doesn’t get tougher than this.”

Those who spoke with Deadline all emphasized the importance of MasterChef to the BBC. While ratings have dipped over the past few years, in line with the vast majority of other shows, MasterChef still averages a consolidated 28-day audience of more than 3M viewers, according to Barb data supplied by overnights.tv. Crucially, it over-indexes with young viewers, placing it in an elite bracket with big unscripted hitters like The Apprentice, which are virtually untouchable.

“The fight to get those viewers back with a new show that would cost three, four or five times as much would be so hard,” added the ex-MasterChef employee, who said the show is cheaper to make than other BBC behemoths like Strictly Come Dancing. “There are all sorts of reasons why Tim [Davie] would be loath to ditch it.”

The 35-year-old juggernaut, which airs around the world, including in the U.S. where it is hosted by Gordon Ramsay, is a natural schedule-filler. A recent move to film in Birmingham, meanwhile, means it is in step with Davie’s vision for the BBC to make more television outside of London.

Silver said the BBC should not be tempted to throw the format into the blender in pursuit of a refresh, emphasizing that contestants are the heart of the series, with stories of wanting to change their lives in pursuit of cooking food. He acknowledges, however, that the way presenters interact with competitors may have to become more codified in future series following the allegations against Wallace and Torode.

Silver, who now runs STV Studios-backed Pi Productions, continues: “On big shows like MasterChef, you’re in touch with people from all over the country, all sorts of backgrounds, all sorts of philosophies, and religions. In the present climate, it’s really important that presenters are helped to learn the necessary tact and decency.”

Banijay, which is “rolling out an externally-run whistleblowing service across all productions with immediate effect,” did not deny that it would revisit its welfare rules following the misconduct storm. “We are constantly updating and improving Banijay participant welfare guidelines, including revisions catering for changing expectations around language, social media and AI,” a spokesperson said.

MasterChef’s ingredients will change, but the BBC and Banijay hope that the format’s strengths will ensure it continues to cook up a storm for viewers.