Clarkson Turns Heads With Comment on MasterChef’s Big Change.
Jeremy Clarkson has claimed he is “worried” after John Torode was sacked from BBC’s MasterChef.
It was confirmed this week by the BBC and production company Banijay UK that the 59-year-old’s contract on the popular show will not be renewed.
The Australian-born cooking star started presenting MasterChef alongside Gregg Wallace in 2005.
On Monday night, Mr Torode confirmed he was the subject of an allegation of using racist language that was upheld as part of a review carried out by law firm Lewis Silkin into the alleged behaviour of his co-presenter, Wallace.
Mr Clarkson himself was sacked from the BBC following a controversy in 2015 in which he punched Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon.
The 65-year-old, along with co-stars James May and Richard Hammond, then moved to Prime Video to present The Grand Tour until last year.
Now, reacting to the news about Mr Torode, Mr Clarkson has said he is “worried” for his fellow television star.
In his latest column for The Sun, the Clarkson’s Farm star remarked: “Funny isn’t it how Top Gear was always seen as the bad boy of the BBC.
“Every week, we’d be in the papers for doing something wrong or saying something inappropriate.
“And as a result, we were always being carpeted by bosses who told us to sit up straight and clean our teeth, and behave ourselves.
“Ha. It now turns out that, compared to every other show on the Beeb, we were saints.
“That said, I am a bit worried about this John Torode chap from MasterChef.
“Because he seems to have been sacked for an offence, even though no one can quite say what the offence was.
“He’s been told that at a private party seven or eight years ago, he sang a song which someone thought was racist and that as a result, he has to go.”
“Who reported him? Dunno. Was there any context? No one’s saying.”
Announcing Mr Torode’s sacking this week, a BBC spokesperson said: “John Torode has identified himself as having an upheld allegation of using racist language against him.
“This allegation, which involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace, was investigated and substantiated by the independent investigation led by the law firm, Lewis Silkin. John Torode denies the allegation.
“He has stated he has no recollection of the alleged incident and does not believe that it happened. He also says that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment.
“The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously. We will not tolerate racist language of any kind and, as we have already said, we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken.
“John Torode’s contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.”
