As the stern-talking judge on BBC’s MasterChef, John Torode was never one to mince his words.
The Alpha Aussie made a vibrant soufflé out of the home cooks, amateur chefs and even celebrities who stood before him hoping for a crumb of praise.
No wonder fans – after he was unceremoniously fired after twenty years on the show – are both surprised and delighted to discover ‘another’ Torode.
Since launching a YouTube show with his wife, Lisa Faulkner, Torode, 61, has been enjoying his much softer — almost cuddly — side.
From the comfort of their beautiful kitchen, in the heart of their terraced house in the enviable London enclave of Muswell Hill, Torode and Lisa, 54, laugh, tease and mock each other as they prepare delicious dishes.
And viewers love it.
‘John and Lisa are basically the Richard and Judy of TV chefs and they are proving to be a great success. Who needs the BBC now?’ says my well-placed source.
Like Richard, Torode often seems clueless, while clever Lisa makes a cheeky comment.
John Torode and his wife Lisa Faulkner show off a dessert on their YouTube cooking show
Torode and Ms Faulkner with his MasterChef colleague Gregg Wallace, who was fired from the show following misconduct allegations
Ms Faulkner met Torode in 2010 when she took part in Celebrity MasterChef, which she later won
Swapping the clinical MasterChef kitchen for a more homely one was also a success, with viewers loving their wooden central island, bespoke ‘John & Lisa’ cutting board and light green pans from their own J&L cookware range from retailer ProChef.
Lisa explained their concept in the first video and cuddled their schnoodle dog as she enthusiastically said, “We cook all of our recipes from home in our kitchen, which is great because we know where everything is, and we really hope you’ll join us to see our family favorites.”
Since John and Lisa’s Kitchen & Home soft launched eight months ago, they have been viewed more than 1.2 million times as fans watched them make ‘the perfect pavlova’ or Lisa’s ‘legendary’ roast potatoes (legendary made by first crumbling a stock cube into the fat). Such a figure could see them earn thousands of pounds, which – together with advertising revenue, side businesses such as their range of cookware and an upcoming book – means Torode will earn more than he did on MasterChef. A source said: ‘There’s more than one way to skin a cat when it comes to making money as a television chef.’
Those familiar with the project say it is the ‘ultimate sod you’ for the BBC. The broadcaster fired Torode as host of MasterChef in July last year after allegations emerged that he used the ‘N’ word at a 2019 film wrap party while singing along to rap star Kanye West’s Gold Digger.
Torode’s dismissal followed allegations of inappropriate behavior against co-host Gregg Wallace. Last year the 61-year-old was sacked after a report commissioned by MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK found that 45 of 83 allegations were substantiated.
Despite Torode saying he had “no memory” of what he was accused of and hoped he would be able to say something, he was also shown the door. So it’s rather wonderful that, after so much upset over the loss of his job, which made him one of the most recognizable faces on British television, Torode is ‘loving life’ in front of the camera again.
‘They are the masters and madams of television cooking. They are making a mess,” a source close to the couple told me. As one YouTube viewer commented about their chemistry, “Love it! Lisa’s sassy innuendos that John never gets, but we get Lisa’s camera eye!’
“The numbers they are bringing in are enormous,” the source said. “John doesn’t even remember saying what he was accused of, and there was never any evidence of that. The die-hard MasterChef viewers have very much taken his side.”
Since John and Lisa’s Kitchen & Home soft launched eight months ago, they have been viewed more than 1.2 million times
Torode and Wallace presented MasterChef since 2005, but were both axed by the BBC
The broadcaster’s new director general, Matt Brittin, may be wondering whether predecessor Tim Davie made a mistake in firing Torode. Just last week, Brittin – who joined the company from Google this year – hinted at the Edinburgh International Television Festival that he planned to open up the BBC to user-generated content.
Brittin suggested turning an ‘iPlayer 2.0’ into a YouTube-style site with appropriate influencer content. It would be built around an algorithm aimed at “educating, informing and entertaining audiences here and ideally around the world.”
“It’s hilarious,” says a friend of the couple.
“Should Gregg have been fired? Yes, absolutely. But with John, it feels like they’ve found a way to get rid of him and start over on MasterChef.
‘What he has proven is that he and Lisa are extremely popular and the BBC will certainly be jealous of their YouTube concept.’
The proof is in the pudding – or in this case scone – as more than 102,000 fans have seen Torode and Lisa whip up a batch of teatime treats so far.
The positive feedback has seen advertisers flocking to promote their brands, with HSBC and Monzo banks running campaigns on John and Lisa’s pages. But it seems unlikely that their ITV show, John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen, will return. “It doesn’t matter,” says a friend. ‘There will be a second cookbook soon.’
Those who know Torode say Lisa was his ‘rock’ when he was fired from MasterChef, which is of course where the couple met when the former Spooks actress competed in 2010.
When they met on the show, Lisa was with her husband Chris Coghill, while Torode was with his wife Jessica.
After both relationships ended, they started dating and married in 2019 in beautiful Aynhoe Park in Northamptonshire.
Seven years later, Lisa has been every bit the supportive wife. So who’s going to blame her for enjoying a strange swipe at the BBC? In one video, as John tells viewers how to prepare the perfect poached egg, a smiling Lisa jokes: ‘The MasterChef poached egg masterclass!’
Ouch! But revenge, as they say, is a dish best served cold.
PS: Wife Lisa may want to avoid the deep fryer!
Mrs Faulkner next to Kevin McNally, left, and Shane Attwooll in Spooks
As MI5 agent Helen Flynn in Spooks, unsavory extremists murdered her using the gadget.
