It turns out that the long-standing professional relationship between MasterChef judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace is much more complicated than their on-screen friendship makes it seem. Even though they have co-hosted the famous culinary show since 2005, their relationship has been marked by public claims of not being friends, professional dependency, and current scandals including accusations against both presenters.
A Partnership Under Review
Since the show was revamped in 2005, people have always been interested in the relationship between John Torode and Gregg Wallace, who co-host MasterChef. It shows that they have a professional bond rather than a close personal friendship.
The Growth of a Complicated Relationship
Torode had doubts about Wallace from the very beginning. In a 2013 interview with The Independent, Torode said that when they initially met for the show, he had doubts about Wallace’s “big, brash, and loud” personality. He said that their strong viewpoints regularly led to fights, even in the first season.
Wallace chose Torode to be his best man at his wedding to Anne-Marie Sterpini in 2016, even though there were some problems between them at the time. This seemed to go against what Torode had said in public about not being friends.
Torode famously said to The Mirror in 2017, “It’s funny, we’ve never been friends.” We haven’t been to each other’s homes. Wallace, on the other hand, had a different view of Lorraine. He talked about how close they were physically and emotionally because they had been working together for so long and how they depended on each other as partners.
Torode changed his mind a little bit on the Desert Island Dishes podcast in June 2023. He called Wallace a “friend” but said they don’t get out outside of work, stressing that they have “great respect for each other.”
Recent Issues and Public Comments
Recent problems have made the partnership even more complex. Torode made a statement in December 2024 after Wallace was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior. He called the accusations “truly upsetting.” He said he would stay with MasterChef and that he supported the investigation that was going on.
Torode most recently talked about an accusation of using “racial language” in 2018 or 2019 in July 2025. He said he had “no recollection” of the event and didn’t think it happened, although he did admit that he was the person against whom the claim was substantiated. He said that any racist remark is “completely unacceptable” and that he was “shocked and saddened” by the claim.