John Torode says MasterChef dismissal left him ‘devastated’

Former MasterChef host John Torode (Ian West/PA) PA Archive John Besley 7 minutes ago Former MasterChef host John Torode has said the BBC’s decision to sack him from the show left him “devastated”.

The 61-year-old Melbourne-born chef hosted the popular series for 20 years alongside Gregg Wallace .

Torode was sacked from the cooking competition show last year after an allegation that he used “highly offensive racist language” was upheld in a review looking into Wallace, who was also fired due to alleged misconduct.

Torode with wife Lisa Faulkner (Lucy North/PA) PA Archive In an interview with The Telegraph , Torode said he received the news via a call from his agent while he was on holiday.

“The shutters closed around me and I was devastated, absolutely, completely devastated.

“I put my heart and soul into that thing. I really worked very, very hard.”

Torode described the BBC as “a machine [that] spat me out”, adding that in his entire time with the broadcaster “nobody ever knocked on my door and said, ‘You can’t do this,’ or ‘This is a problem.’ Never, ever, ever, ever, ever”.

He also ruled out taking any potential legal action over his dismissal.

“It was a situation that was so shocking, so out of the blue, that there was nothing to be done to make a change in any way and to heal was going to take time.”

Following his exit from the series, Torode established a YouTube channel – John and Lisa’s Kitchen and Home – which he runs with his wife, EastEnders and Holby City actress Lisa Faulkner .

In July, Faulkner revealed she had to have surgery because she was diagnosed with the early stages of breast cancer.