GREGG Wallace has defended his MasterChef co-star John Torode against racism allegations in an exclusive interview with The Sun.
A BBC report which upheld 45 of 83 allegations of bad behaviour against Wallace also upheld a claim that a second person used a racial phrase once several years ago.
Torode later confirmed to The Sun that this allegation referred to him, but denied that it had ever happened.
He followed Wallace in being sacked by the BBC after allegedly using a racial slur when repeating lyrics from rapper Kanye West’s hit Gold Digger at an after-work gathering.
Read Gregg Wallace’s exclusive interview
But in an extensive interview with The Sun - in which Wallace also tearfully addresses the slew of complaints of bad behaviour made against him - the former greengrocer leaps to the defence of his co-star.
Gregg exclusively told The Sun: “I’ll tell you one thing right now: is not a racist.
“I’ve known John for 30 years and he is not a racist.
“And as evidence of that, I’ll show you the incredible diversity of the people that he has championed, winners, over the years.
“There is no way that man is a racist. No way. And my sympathies go out to John because I don’t want anybody to go through what I’ve been through.”
Wallace was sacked by the Beeb after anmade against him.
The bombshell inquiry, carried out by law firm Lewis Silkin for production company Banijay,against him.
Most of them involved inappropriate sexual language and humour and a further 10 were made about other people -.
Wallace, who wasduring the seven-month probe, went on to add that he is “relieved the Banijay report fully recognises that my behaviour changed profoundly in 2018”.
Torode began presenting the BBC contest alongside in 2005.
Gregg and John celebrated the show’s 20th anniversary in 2024 with a special dinner at Fishmongers’ Hall in .
