John Torode is still appearing on MasterChef and Celebrity MasterChef because the current series were filmed before the decision was made not to renew his contract, so the BBC chose to broadcast the episodes already in the can rather than scrap them.

What has actually happened

  • John Torode’s contract on MasterChef is not being renewed after an allegation that he used racist language was upheld by an independent investigation for the BBC and the show’s producers.
  • He has publicly denied remembering the incident, but acknowledged he was the person named in the allegation and said racist language is unacceptable.

So why is he still on screen?

  • The current runs of MasterChef and Celebrity MasterChef were filmed earlier in the year, before the inquiry concluded and before the decision not to extend his contract.
  • The BBC and producers decided to air series already completed, saying they had to consider contestants and celebrities who had invested time and hoped to use the show as a career opportunity.

BBC’s stance

  • The BBC has said it “will not tolerate racist language in any form” and has told producers that John Torode’s role will not be extended beyond what is already filmed.
  • They have framed the decision to broadcast existing episodes as a difficult balancing act between addressing misconduct and not penalising contestants who had nothing to do with the allegations.

Why viewers are confused

  • Casual viewers are only just seeing these episodes now, so it can look as if John Torode is still securely in his job despite the headlines about him leaving or being “sacked”.
  • In reality, what you are seeing is effectively his final pre-recorded work for the franchise; he is not expected to be part of future new series once those commitments are fulfilled.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.