Gregg Wallace accusers slam BBC for ‘disregarding victims’ after Masterchef airs with sacked hosts despite botched edit

BBC bosses were last night feeling the heat over a string of scandals.

The Corporation are taking a battering for airing a new series of MasterChef featuring sacked stars John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

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Bosses struggled to cut down the shamed pair’s screen time in the series opener though they did succeed in stripping the popular cookery contest of its usual jokes.

It came as the corporation faced renewed demands to shelve the series after a misconduct probe led to the departures of its long-running hosts last month.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy revealed yesterday she would not be watching.

During the 58-minute opener which aired last night on BBC One, Wallace and Torode were featured more than 100 times.

The presenters, both 60, were seen on seven occasions during the first minute alone.

The nature of the show meant they then kept popping up repeatedly throughout — although there was a noticeable lack of banter between them and the contestants.

A TV insider said: “This was incredibly embarrassing for the Beeb who were probably hoping that there was something which could be done in the edit to drastically minimise how much they seemed to be on camera.

“But the format of the show pivots so much around the presenters, who have to judge the meals, interview the guests and outline their suggested dishes and ingredients.

“There was simply no other way they could have made the show function without them being seen so much.

“But viewers did notice that there was far less joking around between Gregg and John and the contestants, as fans of the show have seen in the past.”

The BBC’s own website reported: “MasterChef returns with sacked hosts but without their jokes.”

On July 10, Wallace was sacked by the BBC and the show’s production company Banijay after an investigation upheld 45 of 83 complaints against him.

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Most of them, covering a 19-year period, centred around inappropriate sexual language and one of unwanted touching.

Shortly afterwards, his Australian co-host Torode was also sacked after it emerged an allegation he used “an extremely offensive racist term” in the workplace was upheld.

The BBC was then urged not to broadcast the new series, which had already been recorded, given that both men featured so heavily.

At one point it was suggested it might just be put on iPlayer, and not go out on BBC One.

However BBC Director-General Tim Davie insisted MasterChef was “bigger than individuals” before it was confirmed it would go ahead as planned.

Mr Davie said his “overwhelming concern” was for the amateur chefs who “gave their heart and soul to this programme”.

Yesterday morning the first three episodes, featuring a first batch of six amateur chefs, were available on the iPlayer.

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Notably, the accompanying images were all of food and the MasterChef logo, in stark contrast to previous series which featured multiple shots of Torode and Wallace goofing around in the kitchen.

The first episode then aired at 8pm on BBC One.

It remained to be seen if viewing figures are drastically different to last year’s series opener which pulled in 3.2million.

Ms Nandy would not be among them.

The minister said: “It’s absolutely not for me, as the Culture Secretary and a member of the government, to tell broadcasters what they can and can’t broadcast.”

I’ve watched MasterChef on and off over the years, but I certainly won’t be watching this series

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy

But, asked what she thought as a viewer, she said: “I won’t be watching it.” She added: “I’ve watched MasterChef on and off over the years, but I certainly won’t be watching this series.”

Some of the women who made allegations against Wallace told BBC News they did not think it should be aired. One said it showed “a blatant disregard for the people who have come forward”.

Former Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, who alleged Wallace told “sexualised” jokes while filming Celebrity MasterChef in 2011, said she knew many women had asked the BBC not to broadcast the new series.

She told the BBC’s Scotcast podcast that she “probably won’t be watching”.

‘Enabling environment’

Broadcast union Bectu said bad behaviour “should not be rewarded with prime-time coverage”.

Last week, Sarah Shafi, one of the contestants on the new series, said she was edited out after asking for it not to be aired.

Ms Shafi said it should have been axed out of respect to those whose complaints were upheld.

That would have sent “a strong message the BBC are not supporting people in those prominent positions or facilitating some sort of enabling environment”, she added.

Replacements for Wallace and Torode have yet to be confirmed by the BBC.   

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