“Can couscous-stuffed trout really work in a broth?”
These are the sorts of questions MasterChef fans anticipated hearing in the latest edition of the BBC hit, but as the first three episodes of the controversial 21st season drop on iPlayer, plenty more are being asked.
Deadline skimmed the trio of eps this morning and it quickly became apparent why it would have been impossible for the BBC and producer Banijay to have edited out Gregg Wallace and John Torode, the former presenters who have been fired from the show following allegations substantiated against them by a Banijay-commissioned report. This 21st edition of MasterChef was in the can prior to the report and the allegations made against Wallace, and the question over whether it would air has haunted the BBC over the past few weeks. A question mark remains over an in-the-can celebrity edition plus Christmas specials and over who will replace Wallace and Torode in the future on the show that is contracted until at least 2028.
This morning, the first three eps quietly arrived. On the MasterChef iPlayer page, the episodes have notably been published without any pictures of Wallace and Torode to promote them, but the ‘hero image’ is a simple one of the MasterChef trophy.
Wallace and Torode appear in virtually every scene in the kitchen. The pair can be seen praising a “beautifully cooked” chicken thigh, inhaling “good flavors and crispy potatoes” and chatting together about how this year’s contestants feel like they are on a “level playing field.”
Some edits are understood to have taken place since the report into MasterChef was published but it would have been impossible to remove the hosts entirely. Wallace questions the couscous dish with a wry “mate, that’s trout with coconut porridge” and chides a contestant for “taking liberties with the clock,” but the episodes appear virtually devoid of witty banter.
Tonight at 8 p.m. GMT (12 p.m. PT), the first ep will air on BBC One, which will bring a fresh spotlight.
Some former contestants have not been happy with how this has all played out. One, Sarah Shafi, told Newsnight she was left “flabbergasted” when she offered up a solution to the BBC but was instead told she was being edited out. Shafi’s solution had been to “create a new special show dedicated to the top 10 contestants [from this season’s MasterChef], signaling the distance from this unacceptable behavior and making a stand.”
Shafi said she was shocked to be a “woman being edited out,” given that the vast majority of allegations made against Wallace were from women. Wallace has apologized for using “inappropriate language” between 2005 and 2018, but denied more serious allegations. Torode has said he cannot recall the incident of his using racial language that was substantiated but has also apologized. The vast majority of allegations were made against Wallace.
BBC Director General Tim Davie has previously said his “overwhelming concern” is for the amateur chefs who “gave their heart and soul to this programme.” Deadline understands broadcasting union Bectu will raise the decision to air MasterChef as part of its regular discussions with the broadcaster in the near future. In public, the union has been heavily critical of the decision.
The thorny debate around what to do with TV shows hosted by those who have faced accusations reared its head yesterday. Deadline broke the news that the BBC will not remove content from iPlayer featuring Jay Blades after it was revealed that The Repair Shop presenter is facing rape charges. These episodes include one where Blades – who hasn’t appeared on The Repair Shop since last year – meets King Charles III at the show’s Weald and Downland Living Museum set. He has been edited out of older episodes but this was an easier task for The Repair Shop as he is far less present in the eps than Wallace and Torode in MasterChef.
