MasterChef’s two decades of innuendos: As Gregg Wallace defends himself against ‘inappropriate sexual comments’ and John Torode comes under fire – is it time for the show to move on from the outlandish outbursts?

Gregg Wallace came under fire this week for allegedly making ‘inappropriate’ jokes on his hit BBC show MasterChef.

Bosses at the company are said to have brought Wallace, 59, into a meeting in 2018 following allegations of ‘inappropriate sexual comments’ and told him to ‘change his behaviour’, but innuendo-filled commentary is still an integral part of the MasterChef brand . for two decades.

Bizarre outbursts have littered the criticism of Wallace and his co-judge John Tororde, 59, over the past 20 series, with many of the clips now being unearthed in light of the new allegations this week – which Gregg denies.

And Torode found himself in hot water on Tuesday after joking to Cat Deeley on This Morning about his ‘little sausage’ while cooking toads in the hole.

While the innuendos are now up for debate, Wallace and Torode’s bizarre brand has made the BBC show stand out from the sea of ​​TV cooking shows.

A memorable gag occurred during a 2016 episode of MasterChef: The Professionals and saw Wallace tell a contestant, “It’s just missing that sauce that brings it all together.” I’d like to dip that pork in something wet!

Torode, meanwhile, made his own joke in 2012 when he asked a female contestant whether she considered herself “a conservative chef or an experimental chef.”

“I’m at home experimenting with my husband,” the participant responded, prompting a laughing Torode to tell her, “I’m not asking what you’re doing at home.”

Then, in 2015, while tasting a female contestant’s dessert, Wallace declared, “I want to take off my shirt and dive in!”

Wallace’s comments are not limited to the main series. In a 2011 episode of Celebrity MasterChef, the judge told actress Margi Clarke: ‘It needs to be a little wetter here. It’s like a diamond ring in a tote bag!’

In 2023, viewers were shocked by another innuendo from Wallace as he wrapped up contestant Diya Kotecha-Lodhia.

While the innuendo is now up for debate, Wallace and Torode’s outlandish brand helped set the BBC show apart

In 2023, viewers were shocked by an innuendo from Wallace when he trolled contestant Diya Kotecha-Lodhia with a comment about ‘salt balls’

The judges were ‘disappointed’ by her starter and said her main course ‘didn’t quite work’.

But it was Gregg’s accidental insinuation that left the fans at home in stitches. When thinking about the starter, he simply said, “I thought those balls were really quite salty.”

Torode’s wife Lisa Faulkner spoke out about the jokes this week, admitting they occurred during her time on the show would think, “I don’t want to hear this,” as Wallace gave punchlines to the crew members.

Faulkner, 52, appeared on the series in 2010 when she won the Celebrity MasterChef trophy – and is now opening up about her time on the show.

She told the Cheltenham Literature Festival last weekend how she heard the former greengrocer’s jokes while she was chopping, reported The sun.

“Gregg told – I’m probably not supposed to say this… Gregg told one crude joke after another to the crew,” Lisa told the audience.

Torode, meanwhile, made his own joke in 2012 when he asked a female contestant if she considered herself “a conservative chef or an experimental chef.”

Torode’s own wife Lisa Faulkner has spoken out about the jokes this week, admitting that during her time on the show she would think, “I don’t want to hear this,” as Wallace delivered punchlines to the crew.

‘You’re just sitting there and if you’re sitting on the front bench and you’re like, “I’ve got ten minutes left,” and he says, “So this girl walked into a bar…”

‘And I say, “Please, I don’t want to hear this joke.”

Her husband John, who was on stage with her to promote their new book, told her: ‘Quite a lot has actually changed…’

But John became embroiled in a prank of his own this week when he scooped up a dish of toads in the hole during a cooking segment on This Morning, leaving host Cat Deeley with a grimace.

John joked: ‘I never thought I’d say to Cat Deeley, “Here’s a little sausage for you, darling.”

Cat, 47, tapped him on the back and replied: “Oh, I like it, thank you,” before turning and making a face at the camera.

Viewers took to social media to point out the unfortunate timing of John’s comment in light of the scandal his co-host faced.

“Why does John Torode’s co-star, the bald one, get in trouble for sexual innuendo when he said it live on ITV today with Cat Deeley,” the social media user wrote.

“Make sure he’s fired too. Women must no longer tolerate these disgusting sexual comments!’

Faulkner, 52, appeared on the series in 2010, where she won the Celebrity MasterChef trophy – and now opens up about her time on the show

The allegations of inappropriate comments have only now come to light as the BBC launched an investigation into workplace culture this week as bosses strive to tackle the ‘abuse of power’.

The insider who made the claims against Wallace, which his team say are ‘inaccurate’, raised questions about why he was allowed to continue presenting MasterChef.

They told the Sun: ‘It is said he bragged about his sex life with his partner at the time.

At one point, Wallace was also accused of taking off his top in front of the woman, which felt inappropriate.

Viewers this morning were shocked by a ‘disgustingly sexual’ comment Torode made to Cat Deeley on Tuesday’s show

The team working on the show are said to have gone to BBC bosses to complain after being left ‘mortified’ by Wallace’s alleged behaviour.

Gregg has denied claims he bragged about his sex life to a younger female BBC employee and took off his top in front of her while filming a game show – saying he would never ‘flirt’ or ‘flirt’ with another woman ‘happen’.

A BBC spokesperson told The Sun: ‘While we do not comment on individuals, any concerns are dealt with quickly and appropriately.

“We do not tolerate any form of inappropriate behavior and have robust processes in place.”

It was previously reported by the Times in May last year that he had allegedly insulted female staff at Nestlé’s York factory with comments about their weight during a ‘friendly’ conversation.

Cat was then seen grimacing at the camera

Wallace subsequently denied that he left the BBC show Inside The Factory in March that year due to inappropriate comments towards female staff.

They appeared on Good Morning Britain in August 2023 and called the claims ‘inaccurate’.

The newspaper had quoted a source as saying: ‘He was rude to staff and continued to talk in a derogatory manner, especially to women.’

The comments were reportedly non-sexual, but were deemed “inappropriate” and a complaint was filed with Voltage TV, the production company responsible for developing the show.

When asked by Richard Madeley on GMB about his departure from the programme, Wallace responded by saying: ‘There was a row in the factory, the reporting is wrong.

“There was a problem and I thought this was the perfect time to come out.”

‘Insult people? No, no, when you look at the headlines, you don’t see a story that matches those headlines.’

Gregg has denied claims that he bragged about his sex life to a younger female BBC employee and took off his top in front of her while filming a game show

Gregg also revealed that he also wanted to leave to help care for his son Sid, born in 2019, who is autistic.

Explaining his home situation, he said: ‘I have a little boy called Sid who is currently non-verbal, still in nappies and has learning difficulties. Mom needed help there.”

He revealed that the demanding nature of filming around the various factories around the country meant it made sense to call it quits.

Wallace added: “It’s completely inaccurate, I haven’t disputed it. There was a problem, I don’t want to talk about it, but it wasn’t what the papers said it was.

‘There was nothing offensive to anyone, just guessing. It was a good time to come out, I think.”

Wallace married Anne-Marie Sterpini, 22 years his junior, at Hever Castle in Kent in August 2016, after meeting three years earlier.