John Torode had said he has "never been friends" with fellow MasterChef host Gregg Wallace. Torode does his best to avoid his colleague when the cameras stop rolling - despite presenting the hugely popular BBC1 programme with the former market trader since 2005.
The pair are arguably one of TV’s most famous duos - but even when they film in far-flung and exotic places, they prefer to keep their distance. This was revealed by the Sunday Mirror in 2017, as MasterChef prepared for its 13th series since its revival.
After it emerged Wallace, 60, will no longer host MasterChef - for now - amid an investigation into historical allegations of misconduct going back to 2005, this interview remains resonant. When Torode spoke in 2017, the now 59-year-old chef said: "We’ve never been friends."
As reported by the Mirror, Torode, from Melbourne, Australia, described his colleague as "so OCD" at the time. He added: "It’s funny, we’ve never been friends. We’ve not been to each other’s houses… He’s so OCD, he wouldn’t know what to do.
"He’d build it up in his mind for three days, and probably make himself quite sick, then he’d have an argument with his wife and not turn up. If I went to his house, he would feel like he wasn’t in control."
Torode has not commented on the investigation into Wallace's alleged behaviour since the full allegations emerged. John instead uploaded a photo to his Instagram stories outside his local David Lloyd club in north London. Looking like he'd had a good workout, the chef captioned the post "Love spin" and added: "Another bloody great class thank you."
Thirteen people, including former Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, have made complaints to the BBC about historical allegations. Wark, 69, appeared in series six of the Celebrity MasterChef spin off in 2011, and claims that on two occasions, in front of contestants and crew, Wallace told stories and jokes of a "sexualised nature".
Wark said: "I think people were uncomfortable. We were essentially a captive audience. People looked embarrassed and just got on with their work. I was actually more angry than anything else, because I thought it was so inappropriate."
A BBC spokesperson said: “We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them. We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.
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Wallace's lawyers say it is "entirely false" that he engages in sexually harassing behaviour. Banijay UK, which produces the show for the BBC, confirmed Wallace will be "stepping away" from the programme.
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