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Why John Torode was on Celebrity MasterChef despite sacking

John Torode breaks silence on Gregg Wallace hours after BBC axes Masterchef Christmas special
  • Viewers of Celebrity MasterChef expressed confusion over John Torode's appearance on the new series, which began last night, as they believed he had been sacked.
  • The current edition of Celebrity MasterChef was filmed prior to the controversies this summer that led to both Torode and Gregg Wallace being dropped from the franchise.
  • Torode's departure followed the BBC upholding a complaint that he used "an extremely offensive racist term" during production, though he denies recollection of it.
  • Gregg Wallace had stepped away from the series months earlier after numerous complaints about his off-screen behaviour, including making sexual jokes and requesting phone numbers from female staff.
  • This series marks Torode's final run as a MasterChef presenter, with Grace Dent and Anna Waugh set to host the regular MasterChef series next year.
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