As the tough-talking judge on BBC‘s MasterChef, John Torode wasn’t ever one to mince his words.
The Alpha-Aussie made a quivering souffle of the home cooks, amateur chefs and even celebrities who stood before him hoping for a crumb of praise.
So no wonder – after he was unceremoniously sacked after 20 years on the show – fans are both surprised and delighted to discover ‘another’ Torode.
Ever since launching a YouTube show with his wife, Lisa Faulkner, Torode, 61, is revelling in his much softer – almost cuddly – side.
From the comfort of their beautiful kitchen, at the heart of their terraced home in the enviable London enclave of Muswell Hill, Torode and Lisa, 54, laugh, tease and mock each other while whipping up mouthwatering dishes.
And viewers love it.
‘John and Lisa are basically the Richard and Judy of TV chefs and they are proving to be a huge success. Who needs the BBC now?’ says my well-placed source.
Just like Richard, Torode often looks clueless as quick-witted Lisa makes a cheeky comment.
John Torode and his wife Lisa Faulkner show off a dessert on their YouTube cooking show
Torode and Ms Faulkner with his MasterChef colleague Gregg Wallace, who was sacked from the show following allegations of misconduct
Ms Faulkner met Torode in 2010 while competing on Celebrity MasterChef, which she went on to win
Swapping the clinical MasterChef kitchen for their more homely one has also been a hit, with viewers loving their wooden central island, customised ‘John & Lisa’ chopping board and pale green saucepans from their own J&L cookware range with high street chain ProChef.
Explaining their concept on the first video, Lisa cuddled their schnoodle dog as she enthused: ‘We’re cooking all our recipes from home in our kitchen which is great because we know where everything is, and we really hope you’re going to join us to see our family favourites.’
Since the soft launch of John and Lisa’s Kitchen & Home eight months ago, they have accumulated more than 1.2million views as fans have tuned in to watch them make ‘the perfect pavlova’ or Lisa’s ‘legendary’ roast potatoes (made legendary by crumbling a stock cube into the fat first). Such a figure could earn them thousands, which – along with advertising revenue, side hustles such as their cookware range and a forthcoming book – means Torode will be making more than he did from MasterChef. A source said: ‘There’s more than one way to skin a cat when it comes to earning cash as a telly chef.’
Those familiar with the project say it is the ‘ultimate sod you’ to the BBC. The broadcaster sacked Torode as host of MasterChef in July last year after an allegation was made that he had used the ‘N’ word at a filming wrap party in 2019 while singing along to Gold Digger by rap star Kanye West.
Torode’s dismissal came amid accusations of inappropriate behaviour against co-presenter Gregg Wallace. Last year the 61-year-old was sacked after a report, commissioned by MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK, found 45 out of 83 allegations were upheld.
Despite Torode saying he had ‘no recollection’ of what he was accused of and hoped to have been allowed a say, he was also shown the door. So it’s rather delicious that, after so much upset at losing the job that made him one of the most recognisable faces on British television, Torode is said to be ‘loving life’ back in front of the camera once again.
‘They are the Mr and Mrs of television cookery. They are smashing it,’ a source close to the pair told me. As one YouTube viewer commented on their chemistry: ‘Love it! Lisa’s cheeky innuendos that John never gets, but we get the camera wink eye from Lisa!’
‘The numbers they are pulling in are massive,’ says the source. ‘John doesn’t even recall saying what he was accused of and there was never any evidence of it. The die-hard MasterChef viewers have very much taken his side.’
Since the soft launch of John and Lisa’s Kitchen & Home eight months ago, they have accumulated more than 1.2million views
Torode and Wallace had presented MasterChef since 2005 but were both axed by the BBC
Indeed, the broadcaster’s new director general, Matt Brittin, may well be questioning whether predecessor Tim Davie didn’t slip up in sacking Torode. Just last week at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, Brittin – who joined the corporation from Google this year – hinted he was looking at opening up the BBC to user-generated content.
Brittin suggested turning an ‘iPlayer 2.0’ into a YouTube-style site hosting appropriate influencer content. It would be built around an algorithm aimed at ‘educating, informing and entertaining the public here and ideally around the world’.
‘It’s hilarious,’ says a friend of the couple.
‘Should Gregg have been sacked? Yes, absolutely. But with John, it feels like they found a way to get rid of him and start afresh on MasterChef.
‘What he has proved is that he and Lisa are extremely popular and surely the BBC will be jealous of their YouTube concept.’
Proof is in the pudding – or in this case, scone – as more than 102,000 fans have so far watched Torode and Lisa whip up a batch of the teatime treats.
On the back of positive feedback, advertisers are flocking to promote their brands, with HSBC and Monzo banks running campaigns on John and Lisa’s pages. But it looks unlikely that their ITV show, John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen will return. ‘Never mind,’ says one pal. ‘They’ve got a second cookery book coming soon.’
Those who know Torode say that Lisa was his ‘rock’ when he was sacked from MasterChef, which was of course where the couple met when the former Spooks actress was a contestant in 2010.
When they met on the show, Lisa was with her husband Chris Coghill while Torode was with his wife Jessica.
After both relationships ended, they began dating and married in 2019 at the stunning Aynhoe Park in Northamptonshire.
Seven years on and Lisa has been every bit the supportive wife. So, who’s going to blame her for enjoying the odd swipe at the BBC? In one video, as John tells viewers how to whip up the perfect poached egg, a smiling Lisa quips: ‘The poached egg masterclass by the MasterChef!’
Ouch! But then revenge, as they say, is a dish best served cold.
PS: Wife Lisa might want to avoid the deep-fat fryer!
Ms Faulkner alongside Kevin McNally, left, and Shane Attwooll in Spooks
As MI5 agent Helen Flynn in Spooks, unsavoury extremists murdered her using the gadget.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login