MasterChef fans have insisted they will be switching off the new series of the show after the hosts of 20-years John Torode and Gregg Wallace’s replacements were confirmed by the BBC this week.
It was unveiled that the judges taking over from Gregg and John would be all-female presenting team Grace Dent and Anna Haugh, but in a surprise turn of events, viewers are lobbying for the return of the old hosts.
Underneath the social media announcement on X, many complained that the cookery programme wouldn’t be the same without Gregg and John, who were both sacked following an investigation earlier this year.
Sharing their thoughts about the announcement, many suggested they would prefer to keep things as they were before the shake up.
They said: ‘Prefer Gregg and John’; ‘We ain’t watching that s*** bring back John & Gregg’; ‘Won’t be the same without Gregg’; ‘That’s another BBC show that that will lose viewers’; ‘Where’s Gregggg?’;
‘I want Greg and John’; ‘BBC woke b*****s’; ‘It’s gone woke. Gregg and and John should do their own show like the boys from Top Gear’;
MasterChef fans have insisted they will be switching off the new series of the show after the hosts of 20-years John Torode and Gregg Wallace ‘s replacements were confirmed by the BBC this week (pictured Grace Dent and Anna Haugh)
It was unveiled that the judges taking over from Gregg and John would be all-female presenting team Grace Dent and Anna Haugh, but in a surprise turn of events, viewers are lobbying for the return of the old hosts (pictured 2024)
‘Won’t be watching anymore after this series then, I like Grace Dent but afraid Anna Haugh is not the right choice in my opinion, when she stood in on MasterChef the professionals she wasn’t very good at all. John Torode should still be there’;
‘Good luck to them both but I won’t be watching. Torode’s treatment was appalling. He should still be there. Not even sure Wallace hasn’t been stitched up either tbh’; RIP MasterChef 1990-2024′.
However, not everyone was disappointed with the choices and insisted they would be looking forward to tuning in to watch the new presenters.
They said: ‘Perfect! Looking forward to watching’; ‘Very promising, good choice’; ‘Brilliant’; ‘Yes! Anna Haugh is great!’ ‘Excellent. It promises to be a great show’; ‘Both well deserved, looking forward to tuning in!’
Food critic Grace, 51, will join Irish chef Anna, 44, who has become a regular on the BBC’s cooking shows, with both having experience as judges on Masterchef.
Grace as appeared regularly as a guest on MasterChef, while Anna has been a judge on the spin-off Professionals series.
Anna has already stood in for Gregg in the amateur edition, which was filmed towards the end of last year after he stepped back amid a series of allegations about his behaviour.
Sharing their thoughts about the announcement, many suggested they would prefer to keep things as they were before the shake up
However, not everyone was disappointed with the choices and insisted they would be looking forward to tuning in to watch the new presenters
Gregg was fired after more than 45 complaints against him were upheld following a BBC investigation
Gregg was sacked following a series of misconduct allegations relating to his time on the series. Meanwhile John lost his job after two decades over allegations that he used the N-word.
Speculation grew over who would replace them, before Grace and Anna beat Monica Galetti and Marcus Wareing to the coveted judging roles.
Author and podcaster Grace was a contestant on MasterChef: Battle Of The Critics in 2023.
She said: ‘I’m over the moon to be coming back to the MasterChef kitchen and unearthing what culinary skills people have been cooking up behind closed doors.
‘It’s a joy to be working with Anna, who brings all her incredible experience to the table. I am in for such a treat with this series, I can’t wait to get started.’
The news comes after MasterChef lost nearly one million viewers as the new series aired last month.
The controversial 21st series aired after arriving on BBC iPlayer earlier in the day – after the broadcaster’s decision to air the episodes.
There was a last-minute scramble to re-edit it and limit the appearances of its stars Gregg and John.
Australian-born chef John, also lost his job after two decades over allegations that he used the N-word (pictured on the current series of MasterChef)
Grace Dent – who previously stepped in to host the celebrity spin-off series with John – will return as a permanent judge
Both presenters had been axed from hosting future iterations of the long-running cookery contest in recent weeks.
And just 1.96 million watched the first episode – down from 2.73 million for last year’s launch show, reports The BBC itself.
Viewers blasted the ‘tone deaf’ BBC for their ‘bizarre decision’ to push ahead with the latest series after firing both hosts.
Many of those watching felt confused that it had even been aired after what happened – while a body language expert said the presenters lacked ‘on-screen chemistry’.
They penned on X: ‘Shame on the BBC for broadcasting the new series of MasterChef, about time we scrapped the licence fee, absolute joke.’,
‘Watching the new #MasterChef series on BBC – it’s utterly bizarre they’re airing it with Gregg Wallace and John Torode front and centre—after sacking both for misconduct allegation. Pre-recorded or not, this decision feels completely tone-deaf. What were they thinking? #BBCFail.’,
‘Why are these men still on masterchef?.’,
‘Odd watching masterchef with the 2 guys who were fired fronting it. Seems a long time ago that the allegations came out about Wallace in particular.’,
Anna Haugh replaced Gregg in the last episodes of the current civilian series after allegations ‘I did not know this was going ahead ! The poor contestants their series so overshadowed #MasterChef.’, ‘#BBC #masterchef have you made a terrible mistake tonight and aired the wrong show #Unbelievable.’,against him first came to light
‘Who getting kicked off today. Weirdly it’s the presenters #Masterchef.’,
John and Gregg were both sacked from the programme in quick succession in July.
Gregg was fired after more than 45 complaints against him were upheld following a BBC investigation.
Australian-born chef John, also lost his job after two decades over allegations that he used the N-word.
The BBC said the host’s contract would not be renewed after a report found he had used an ‘extremely offensive racist term’ during drinks after filming the show.
The complaint against John was revealed in the report into co-presenter Gregg’s inappropriate behaviour.
John identified himself as an unnamed person in the report who was accused of using ‘racist language’.
However, the presenter said ‘he had absolutely no recollection’ of the incident and did ‘not believe that it happened’.
A witness told investigators he had apologised immediately, ‘was mortified’ and ‘didn’t use the term as a slur’ in 2018.
However, in a statement, the BBC said: ‘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.
‘The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously.
‘We will not tolerate racist language of any kind and we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken. John Torode’s contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.’
One contestant, Sarah Shafi, did not appear on the programme after she complained about the behaviour of Gregg.
She claimed she was ‘eyed up and ogled’ by Gregg on the show, while accusing the TV host of making an ‘off’ comment about his reputation with women.
Gregg stepped down from the hit BBC cooking show after complaints were made about his behaviour and following a report into his conduct, in which 45 of 83 complaints were upheld. In total, 41 people complained.
The review concluded that the ‘majority of the substantiated allegations against Wallace related to inappropriate sexual language and humour’.
It added that ‘a smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also substantiated’, with ‘one incident of unwelcome physical contact’ also substantiated.
The ex Eat Well for Less? presenter told the Sun that while he didn’t deny being guilty of some of the claims, he believed things had been ‘perceived incorrectly’.
Gregg claimed that he had worked with around 4,000 people, meaning that just 0.5% of those he has worked with ‘found fault with me’.
He said his actions were the result of learned behaviour and workplace culture and claimed that his recent autism diagnosis also played a role.
‘I know I am odd. I know I struggle to read people. I know people find me weird. Autism is a disability, a registered disability,’ he said.
Gregg has previously said he felt the BBC failed to provide enough support for his condition during his 20 years working on MasterChef.
‘My neurodiversity, now formally diagnosed as autism, was suspected and discussed by colleagues across countless seasons of MasterChef,’ he said.
‘Yet nothing was done to investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over 20 years.’
