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MasterChef to ‘be on the air for FOUR more years’ show bosses vow, after fears Gregg Wallace scandal would see show AXED
Plus, John Torode's concerns about Gregg Wallace
MASTERCHEF'S future has been hanging in the balance after show host Gregg Wallace's sudden exit.
But now it has been confirmed that amid the ongoing Gregg Wallace scandal, the show will air for at least another four years.
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Gregg shocked the nation when he unexpectedly stepped down from his role as a host on MasterChef after multiple complaints against him emerged.
Filming on the 21st season concluded this week in Athens, Greece, and it was earmarked to air in spring 2025, with future series left plagued with uncertainty.
Amid the uncertainty, Banijay, the production company behind MasterChef, has now confirmed that the show will be on the BBC for at least four more years.
Bectu, the union who represent over 40,000 staff, contract and freelance workers in the media and entertainment industries, have released a statement in the wake of the Gregg scandal, confirming the future of MasterChef.
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They said: "Following [the] terrible revelations about alleged unacceptable behaviour by Gregg Wallace, a number of MasterChef freelancers approached us, afraid of losing their jobs.
"We have been in urgent talks with producers, Banijay."
The statement continued: "Today, we received positive news:
"Banijay has had 'absolute confirmation from the BBC that they are fully committed to the current series [of MasterChef] and the show for at least the next 4 years.'
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John Torode breaks silence on MasterChef co-star Gregg Wallace accusations
"Filming will continue," they continued.
"We are delighted that Banijay and the BBC will stand by the talent behind MasterChef.
"We would urge anyone affected by the revelations to come forward in confidence, either to us, or to one of the many supportive groups involved."
They then concluded their statement by saying: "Bullying, harassment, unwanted sexual conduct or any behaviour that makes you feel uncomfortable is unacceptable.
Gregg Wallace - MasterChef scandal in Brief
GREGG Wallace has stepped down from his MasterChef hosting role after a probe into alleged inappropriate behaviour. But what's the situation?
Regular MasterChef host Gregg Wallace is currently the subject of a probe after an investigation was launched into his alleged misconduct over a number of years.
Gregg has been accused of making sexual remarks to 13 colleagues including Beeb anchor Kirsty Wark - accusations he denies.
The 60-year-old has now stepped away from the BBC show while historical misconduct allegations against him are investigated.
Yet the former greengrocer spoke out on social media to blast the "women of a certain age" who he claimed were behind the allegations.
The cooking show’s production company, Banijay UK, has said law firm Lewis Silkin would lead the investigation into Wallace’s alleged misconduct.
"We will stand together and protect each other."
When approached by The Sun, a spokesperson for Banijay told us: "I can confirm that the Bectu statement is correct."
The BBC tells The Sun: "A six-year deal was announced in 2022 to move the show to the Midlands which we remain committed to."
This confirms the BBC won't lose the show - unlike The Great British Bake Off.
After the seventh series of Bake Off aired on the BBC in 2016, it's production company, Love Productions, took the show to C4 after a year of negotiations over money.
JOHN TORODE 'RAISED CONCERNS' ABOUT GREGG WALLACE
This comes after we reported that Gregg Wallace's MasterChef co-star John Torode repeatedly raised concerns about his 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.
John is understood to have spoken to officials at production firm Banijay - NOT the BBC - about his co-host.
Last night, a source told The Sun: "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.
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"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."
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