JOHN Torode repeatedly raised concerns about Gregg Wallace’s behaviour on MasterChef — but no action was taken.
The chef, 59, was unhappy about some of Wallace’s on-set language and was aware of his bullish reputation, pals say.
The Aussie is understood to have spoken to officials at production firm Banijay about his co-host.
He and actress wife Lisa Faulkner are now keen to publicly distance themselves from the scandal, viewing it as a PR disaster.
Last night, a source said: “John is not stupid — of course, he was aware of some of Gregg’s less savoury behaviour. He did not condone it, and nor did he engage with it.
He does not have a machismo sense of humour and when he made that comment about the pair of them not being friends in real life, he knew what he was doing.
“It was his way of distancing himself when attempts to do it otherwise failed.
“He repeatedly flagged his behaviour and poor-taste remarks to execs on set and made clear he wasn’t happy. It was never a formal complaint, rather a series of spoken concerns raised.
“He does not know whether any formal record was ever made but the sense he got was that bosses needed to protect the MasterChef brand at all costs and that meant turning a blind eye.
“He and Lisa are mortified with the fall-out, and are considering hiring a PR to help handle the situation and extract themselves as quickly as possible.”
Wallace is accused of making sexual remarks to staff and guests across multiple programmes over 17 years, as well as allegations of groping colleagues and contestants.
He denies any behaviour of a sexually harassing nature and has stepped back from MasterChef while Banijay UK investigates.
This week, John wrote on Instagram: “I love my job, and I love MasterChef. I love being part of it and will continue to be part of it.
“The thought of anyone who has appeared on our show not having a brilliant experience is awful to hear and I have found the recent Press reports truly upsetting.
John is not stupid — of course, he was aware of some of Gregg’s less savoury behaviour. He did not condone it, and nor did he engage with it
A source
“But as I hope everyone appreciates, there is an investigation under way, which I fully support, so I cannot make any further comment at this stage, and I hope that you all understand and respect my silence on the matter moving forward.”
His wife Lisa, 52, whom he met on Celebrity MasterChef in 2010, reposted his message.
They and Wallace, 60, no longer follow each other on Instagram — a move the Londoner prompted as he is reportedly devastated that his co-presenter did not back him.
John was best man at his co-host’s fourth wedding in 2016.
But in an interview the following year, he said pair “weren’t really friends” — which Wallace later claimed earned him a “telling off” from BBC bosses.
A spokesperson for John, who has presented MasterChef with Wallace since 2005, did not respond to requests for comment.
Gregg Wallace has been a familiar face on TV for years now thanks to his role as a judge on MasterChef - but let's take a closer look at his career so far...
