MasterChef viewers blast ‘tone deaf’ BBC for ‘bizarre decision’ to push ahead with the new series after firing both John Torode and Gregg Wallace

MasterChef viewers blasted the ‘tone deaf’ BBC for their ‘bizarre decision’ to push ahead with the latest series after firing both presenters John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

The controversial 21st series aired on Wednesday night after arriving on BBC iPlayer earlier in the day – after the broadcaster’s decision to air the episodes. 

There was a last-minute scramble to re-edit it and limit the appearances of its stars Gregg and John.

Both presenters had been axed from hosting future iterations of the long-running cookery contest in recent weeks.

And viewers watching on Wednesday felt confused that it had even been aired after what happened – while a body language expert said the presenters lacked ‘on-screen chemistry’. 

They penned on X: ‘Shame on the BBC for broadcasting the new series of MasterChef, about time we scrapped the licence fee, absolute joke.’,

‘Watching the new #MasterChef series on BBC – it’s utterly bizarre they’re airing it with Gregg Wallace and John Torode front and centre—after sacking both for misconduct allegation. Pre-recorded or not, this decision feels completely tone-deaf. What were they thinking? #BBCFail.’, 

‘Why are these men still on masterchef?.’,

‘Odd watching masterchef with the 2 guys who were fired fronting it. Seems a long time ago that the allegations came out about Wallace in particular.’,

‘I did not know this was going ahead ! The poor contestants their series so overshadowed #MasterChef.’,

‘#BBC #masterchef have you made a terrible mistake tonight and aired the wrong show #Unbelievable.’,

‘Who getting kicked off today. Weirdly its the presenters #Masterchef.’,

‘Watching Masterchef. I’m outraged that Wallace and Torode are on screen so much!!! Thought they were being edited out.’,

‘Typical bbc Showing masterchef, with the 2 judges who both been sacked #Masterchef.’

Body language expert Judi James told The Mirror that the pair lacked on-screen chemistry.

She told the publication: ‘Torode and Wallace are not really presented as a double act here, more like two experts with little in the way of close communication or synchronicity.

‘Nothing seems to hinge on any on-screen chemistry between the stars and any interaction there is seems to be either shot with a spatial distance at a table or in the style of one commenting solo to the camera while the other is filmed doing the reaction shots.’

Wallace and Torode were both sacked from the program in quick succession last month.

Wallace was fired after more than 45 complaints against him were upheld following a BBC investigation.

Australian-born chef John, 59, also lost his job after two decades over allegations that he used the N-word, which he claims to have ‘absolutely no recollection’ of.

One contestant, Sarah Shafi, will not appear on the programme after she complained about the behaviour of Gregg.

She claimed she was ‘eyed up and ogled’ by Gregg on the show, while accusing the TV host of making an ‘off’ comment about his reputation with women.

Gregg stepped down from the hit BBC cooking show after complaints were made about his behaviour and following a report into his conduct, in which 45 of 83 complaints were upheld. In total, 41 people complained.

The review concluded that the ‘majority of the substantiated allegations against Wallace related to inappropriate sexual language and humour’.

It added that ‘a smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also substantiated’, with ‘one incident of unwelcome physical contact’ also substantiated.

The ex Eat Well for Less? presenter told the Sun that while he didn’t deny being guilty of some of the claims, he believed things had been ‘perceived incorrectly’.

Gregg claimed that he had worked with around 4,000 people, meaning that just 0.5% of those he has worked with ‘found fault with me’.

He said his actions were the result of learned behaviour and workplace culture and claimed that his recent autism diagnosis also played a role.

‘I know I am odd. I know I struggle to read people. I know people find me weird. Autism is a disability, a registered disability,’ he said.

Gregg has previously said he felt the BBC failed to provide enough support for his condition during his 20 years working on MasterChef.

‘My neurodiversity, now formally diagnosed as autism, was suspected and discussed by colleagues across countless seasons of MasterChef,’ he said.

‘Yet nothing was done to investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over 20 years.’