John Torode was sacked from MasterChef after allegedly using a racist remark.

John Torode has thrown his support behind Grace Dent, the new host of MasterChef (Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Shine TV)

John Torode has thrown his support behind his former co-star Grace Dent, who is the new presenter of MasterChef. The food critic, 52, will front the BBC cooking programme with chef Anna Haugh following the departures of Torode and Gregg Wallace.  The 61-year-old was sacked from the show after an independent inquiry upheld 45 out of 83 misconduct allegations against him. Torode was dropped shortly after, following accusations he used an “extremely offensive racist term” on set.

Torode, 60, spoke warmly of Dent despite his exit, admitting it had been a “privilege” to work alongside her. In a new Subtack post, he wrote: “Grace Dent: What a strong extraordinary woman. Grace stands up for all that she believes in and supports. Graceful and never scared of doing the right thing or worried that the cult might too ostracise her. It was a privilege to stand by her side. Her support unfailing.”

Torode was axed from MasterChef in July 2025 following accusations he used an “extremely offensive racist term” (Image: BBC)

Dent had the same opinion of Torode when it was announced she would be taking over hosting duties, however, she did take a veiled swipe at the show’s former male-dominated cast.

“MasterChef was a very male place for the whole time I was there — utter male energy all the time,” she told The Sunday Times. “To be there now with a woman by my side, it’s fantastic.”

Dent continued: “That’s not to say she didn’t enjoy being in the company of John and Gregg. I absolutely adore John Torode.”

She described her former co-star as one of the “kindest, most concerned, clever, thoughtful men” that she knows, adding: ““Gregg was always a very, very big character.”

Torode was officially axed from MasterChef in July 2025. In an Instagram statement, the TV chef said he had “no recollection” of what he is accused of, which reportedly occurred between 2018 and 2019.

Gregg Wallace was axed from MasterChef after a report upheld 45 out of 83 misconduct allegations against him (Image: BBC)

The “serious racist term” was reportedly so severe that Tim Davie, BBC’s Director General at the time, said he was not prepared to repeat it. The Telegraph claimed Torode was the subject of multiple allegations, but only one was substantiated.

In December, the presenter said he was in therapy for “grief” after being sacked. In his Substack newsletter, A View from the Fridge, Torode said therapy has entitled him to be “real”, explaining that months of soul-searching helped him deal with his new reality.

He wrote: “Fear is the instinct that keeps us alive, but should grief and fear meet each other, I wonder how much damage it can do when we decide to shut it away, shut it down and not let it flow as it should.”

After heading on a solo trip to Qatar without his wife Lisa Faulkner, Torode said it was “the first time I have sat in my grief”.

He added: “Being away from Lisa has meant facing my grief alone and it has been cathartic but at times really tough. This week I can proudly say that I have allowed the true hurt and sadness to flow through me without resistance.”