Lisa Faulkner has praised husband John Torode for how he handled his MasterChef exit, as the couple reflect on a difficult period that also saw her undergo surgery for breast cancer
Actress Lisa Faulkner admitted “it has not been easy” as she reflected on how John Torode handled his departure from MasterChef.
The couple, who married in 2019, have supported each other through a challenging period. John was axed from the BBC cookery programme after an allegation that he used racist language was upheld, while Lisa was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and underwent successful surgery in June.
Speaking directly to her husband in a joint interview with The Times, Lisa said: “It has not been easy. I take my hat off to you in how you handled that situation, the way that for a long time you (sat with) something and were quiet. To go through something that is not of you making is very difficult.”
Praising his response to his MasterChef exit, she added: “I’ve never seen anybody handle something with so much grace and so much gentleness.”
Lisa explained that the pair take turns supporting one another as their circumstances change, reports the Express. She said: “Life changes as you get older and then it changes again and again.”
John described the period as “stressful”, though he said he recalled little of the finer details. He no longer watches MasterChef or keeps in touch with former co-presenter Gregg Wallace, but wishes the programme well.
The controversy began in late 2024 when Gregg faced multiple allegations of inappropriate behaviour. Production company Banijay commissioned an independent investigation led by law firm Lewis Silkin, which upheld 45 of 83 allegations, resulting in Gregg’s dismissal.
John had filmed alongside Gregg’s replacement, Grace Dent, before an allegation that he had used a “serious, highly offensive racist term” on one occasion was also upheld. He subsequently lost his role on the programme.
The pair became close friends after Lisa appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2010, when both were married to other people. John asked her out after their respective divorces, and they married at Aynhoe Park in Northamptonshire in October 2019.
They have since launched their YouTube channel, John and Lisa’s Kitchen and Home, which has attracted 24,000 subscribers. Their latest cookery book, John & Lisa’s Weeknight Dinners, is due out next week.
She has reportedly barely ventured outside since her operation three months ago.
Meanwhile, John has been supporting Lisa through her recovery from breast cancer surgery. She underwent her operation on June 19, with her surgeon successfully removing the cancer with clear margins.
Lisa revealed that her husband had been preparing all her meals throughout the summer, with sweet potatoes, chickpeas and “seed on everything” among her requests. She said she was “very, very grateful to be here and well”.
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