Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said she ‘certainly won’t’ be watching the latest series of the BBC cooking show after Gregg Wallace and John Torode were both dropped
Labour frontbencher Lisa Nandy said she “certainly won’t” be watching the latest series of MasterChef after the controversial decision to screen it.
The Culture Secretary said she has been an “on and off” viewer of the BBC cooking show over the years – but would be giving the show a miss. It comes after allegations of serious misconduct by co-hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode led to them being dropped.
The pair’s final MasterChef series has landed on BBC iPlayer despite calls for the series not be broadcast. It comes after reports Gregg Wallace is trying to ‘earn a living’ after MasterChef exit amid ‘battle every day’.
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A review upheld 45 out of 83 misconduct allegations against Wallace, including claims of inappropriate sexual language and unwanted physical contact. Meanwhile Torode was the subject of an allegation about using racist language.
This was upheld as part of the Lewis Silkin review, commissioned by MasterChef’s production company Banijay – although he said he had “no recollection of the incident” and was “shocked and saddened” by the allegation.
Asked whether the series should be screened, Ms Nandy told host Jon Kay: “It’s absolutely not for me, as the Culture Secretary and a member of the Government, to tell broadcasters what they can and can’t broadcast.”
Asked what she thought as a viewer, she said: “As a viewer, I won’t be watching it, I want to be absolutely clear about that.” She added: “I’ve watched MasterChef on and off over the years, but I certainly won’t be watching this series.”
She continued: “Like every member of the public, I’m absolutely appalled that that was allowed to happen in plain sight for far too long.”
She praised the BBC for signing up to watchdog the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (Ciisa), and vowing not to work with production companies who do not do so.
Ms Nandy said: “One of the things that the BBC has done, and rightly in my view, and shows real leadership, is to sign up to a new industry body, Ciisa, which aims at stamping out this sort of abuse in the creative industries.
“And they’ve been very clear that they won’t commission work from companies who aren’t also signed up to that industry body and those new standards. As a Labour government, we think it’s absolutely essential.
“I want young people from towns like Wigan (Ms Nandy’s constituency) to be able to break into the TV industry, to be able to share that talent with the world, to become the storytellers of the next generation, free from any discrimination or abuse that that we’ve seen is is far too prevalent in those industries.
“I think the BBC has shown leadership on this, and I would urge other people to follow suit.”
The first three episodes of the 21st series were released on iPlayer early on Wednesday morning, ahead of the first episode airing on BBC One at 8pm. In November last year it was announced that Wallace would step away from his role while historical allegations of misconduct were investigated.
Last month a statement from Banijay UK and the BBC said they had agreed “Mr Wallace’s return to MasterChef is untenable”. Wallace issued an apology saying he was “deeply sorry for any distress caused” and that he “never set out to harm or humiliate”.
Last month the BBC confirmed the series, which was filmed last year before allegations against Wallace and Torode were upheld, would be broadcast in August – adding that it had “not been an easy decision in the circumstances.” The BBC added that “broadcasting this series is the right thing to do for these cooks who have given so much to the process. We want them to be properly recognised and give the audience the choice to watch the series.”
One of this year’s contestants, Sarah Shafi, asked to be edited out of the series. In an interview with The Sun last month Wallace apologised to anyone hurt by his behaviour, but insisted he is “not a groper, a sex pest or a flasher”.
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