Lisa Faulkner says husband John Torode ‘holds her hands through everything’ as she launches new career move amid claims their weekend show will be axed after his MasterChef sacking

Lisa Faulkner has gushed about her husband John Torode, calling him her ‘best mate’ as he champions the actress’ return to the theatre.

The Holby City star, 53, is set to take the stage as single mother Allie in Single White Female, which is based on the 1990s psychological thriller film and bestselling book by John Lutz.

She will be acting alongside Coronation Street’s Kym Marsh, 49, who will play obsessed roommate Hedy.

Lisa spoke of her wholesome partnership with the chef, 60, and said he has been running lines with her.

She told Hello! magazine: ‘He’s my husband and my best mate. We really do support each other and hold each other’s hands through everything. He’s such a gentleman and so kind.   

‘He’s been running through the lines with me. He’s so happy for me.’ 

The controversial TV chef also spoke lovingly about his wife, telling the Mirror:  “[Lisa is] my rock, my best friend, my love, my wife, a Wonder Women. Nothing else needs to be said.’

Also supporting Lisa’s new career move are her best friends Angela Griffin and Amanda Holden.

Lisa said: ‘They’ve got a separate WhatsApp group, because I’ve told them I don’t want to know when they’re coming.’

The actress said spotting her friends in the crowd would throw her off and will only check if they’re there after the performance.

Single White Female follows a recently divorced mother who takes in a lodger to help ends meet. 

But as they grow closer, the roommate Hedy develops a sinister obsession and their arrangement begins to spiral out of control. 

It comes after Lisa and John’s ITV cookery show Weekend Kitchen is reportedly set to axed, despite the broadcaster’s vow to stand by the sacked MasterChef star.

The chef was fired by the BBC earlier this year after an allegation emerged he had used ‘extremely offensive racist language in 2018’, which he claims to have ‘no recollection of’.

His exit came just weeks after co-star Gregg Wallace, 61, also got the boot over a series of allegations about his sexualised on-set behaviour.

But despite ITV previously throwing their support behind John, who has been married to Lisa since 2019 after meeting on Celebrity Masterchef, the prospect of their show, which debuted the same year as his wedding, continuing is said to be unlikely.

The final episode of the Weekend Kitchen’s tenth series, a festive special aired last week.

A source said: ‘John is facing a nervous wait about Weekend Kitchen but it’s not looking good. The commissioning team have still not made a decision. Budgets are being slashed and the show is expensive to make’.

They told The Sun: ‘It will be a major blow to John. He had a really tough time after being sacked from the BBC. 

‘He is pushing forward with Lisa and is working hard on a new YouTube cooking show which has been well-received’.

Daily Mail contacted John and Lisa’s representatives for comment at the time. ITV declined to comment.

Earlier this month John revealed he had been having therapy to cope with the fallout of his sacking, which he said had taught him how to ‘sit in his grief’ and ‘be real’ instead of ‘brave’.

In a post on writers’ platform Substack, he wrote: ‘Life has changed for ever for me and for those close to me. There is no sympathy searching here just honesty.’

He went on: ‘Therapy over the past few months has entitled me to no longer “be brave” but instead be real.’

In his newsletter, John revealed that he was away working in Qatar – and described visiting the Grand Prix there as his first attempt at ‘facing my grief alone’, without his wife.