SH0CK REVERSAL – Viewers stunned as Wallace & Torode case sparks heated COMPARISONS with Holly & Phil, Ant & Dec, exposing BBC’s inconsistency!

OPINION

BBC sacking John Torode from MasterChef is not the problem (Image: BBC)

It was announced last week that the BBC would “not be renewing” John Torode’s contract leaving many up in arms with some claiming it was a “witch hunt”. Torode had been sacked as MasterChef presenter after an allegation against him using “an extremely offensive rac1st term” was upheld. In an Instagram statement on Tuesday, the TV chef said he had “no recollection” of what he is accused of, and said he had hoped to have some say in his exit. Just days later, it was reported Torode had nine complaints against him, including rac1st language, abusive language to junior production staff and sexual language, with Torode being let go. Only one was upheld, for an incident on the set of MasterChef in 2018 when he allegedly used a severely offensive rac1st term. This comes on the back of a nine month investigation into his co-host Gregg Wallace who was accused of misconduct. It revealed more than 40 claims against Wallace had been upheld, including one of unwelcome physical contact.

On top of all this a fresh BBC news report revealed there were tensions behind the scenes with claims the relationship between Wallace and Torode had broke down and the pair were “never friends” off camera. The report also suggests Torode tried to publicly distance himself from Wallace last December when he was dropped from the show.

It’s another scandal the BBC doesn’t necessarily need as the corporation has faced yet another drama in its 102-year history. While the BBC have decided to act swiftly to the latest debacle, with both Wallace and Torode being dropped from MasterChef, has the cooperation opened the door to another issue facing the ever changing traditional televison industry. Are we now seeing the death of the TV double act?

MasterChef presenters John Torode and Gregg Wallace have been axed (Image: BBC)

While Wallace and Torode are unlikely to be hailed the Ant and Dec of the culinary world, it’s fair to say viewers expect to not see one without the other having tuned into MasterChef since the duo’s debut in 2005. With such serious allegations being aimed at both presenters, it is also unlikely we will see them reunite – although ITV have suggested they are standing behind Torode (he is also on-screen with his wife Lisa Faulkner as double act) on his cooking programme.

But what we have seen in recent years is the dramatic fall of Britain’s presenting duo’s and the impact one host’s bad decision can heavily impact the other’s reputation. For instance, Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were seen as daytime TV’s golden duo for over a decade but that fell apart when Phil admitted to an affair with a younger male colleague. Holly and Phil, who often holidayed together, relied heavily on being a double act and having a very public friendship, even fronting Dancing On Ice together. Once the affair scandal came to light, everything appeared to go downhill – both of them have since departed This Morning and have maintained a relatively low profile ever since.

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield are believed to have fallen out (Image: Getty)

Even Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly’s double act faced troubles in 2018, when McPartlin was involved in a car crash. He was fined £86,000 and given a 20-month driving ban for drink driving. But fortunately for the Geordie duo, they came out of the fiasco relatively unscathed and saw continued success.

However, the same can not be said for everyone. Although, Wallace and Torode’s latest episodes of MasterChef will be aired, maybe the BBC has come to the realisation that double acts are a gamble amid the changes in an ever changing TV world. Why risk the future of the show and co-presenter’s reputation with two liabilities – it might be a safer bet to only deal with two separate hosts who don’t come as package but even that’s not guaranteed.