John Torode shared a surprising revelation about co-star Gregg Wallace, as he opened up about their relationship outside of the studio.

13:51, Fri, Oct 25, 2024 | UPDATED: 13:58, Fri, Oct 25, 2024

John Torode and Gregg Wallace attend The Childline Ball 2019...

John Torode and Gregg Wallace (Image: Getty)

John Torode has opened up about his relationship with MasterChef co-presenter Gregg Wallace, admitting that the pair “don’t socialise” outside of their professional roles.

The fan-favourite duo has presented the BBC show MasterChef together since 2005, making it nearly 19 years since they began judging on the show. While the pair mainly judge food on the show, Torode is known for his cooking skills.

John has worked in the culinary field, beginning his career as a sous chef for the Conran Group under Terence Conran. He is now a restaurant owner and has also written several cookbooks, including one with his wife Lisa Faulkner.

Meanwhile, Gregg started his career as a warehouseman at Covent Garden Fruit and Veg Market. He sold vegetables at a stand in Covent Garden before becoming a salesman and later found work in television, with his first role on Saturday Kitchen.

John Torode and Gregg Wallace have fronted the Masterchef for over a decade

The likeable pair have fronted the MasterChef for over a decade (Image: BBC)

The pair met while John was working at Quaglino's, where Torode first encountered Gregg, whose company supplied the vegetables for the restaurant.

Speaking at the Cheltenham Literary Festival, Torode made a quip that the pair have sampled many dishes, although he hasn’t been the one to teach Gregg how to cook.

When asked: "Has Gregg Wallace improved his cooking skills under your astute guidance?" He responded with: “Well we don’t really socialise Gregg and I, so not under my guidance, the man has tasted as many plates of food as I have in twenty-one years and I think it must be reaching over 20,000 plates of food we’ve eaten over that time. He’s got a pretty good palate, whether he cooks or not, I’m not quite sure.”

Gregg Wallace on red carpet

John says he and Gregg are not "close" (Image: Getty)

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Aside from Masterchef, John, 59, has regularly presented shows alongside his wife, Lisa. The couple fronts their own show and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen, where they explore new meals and share their culinary experiences.

John and Lisa first met when Faulkner won the fifth series of the BBC cook show. The professional chef previously spoke fondly of his relationship with his wife, as he opened up about their strong partnership both on and off-screen.

He told The Metro in 2022: "She does her acting and then we just filmed the new series of our show so were together for 10 days. What helps is we really do like each other. If Lisa and I were cooking the same sort of food, it’d be quite boring. She doesn’t want to be in a professional kitchen, she wants to help people to make life a little bit easier at home."