John Torode has once again found himself addressing claims of a feud with MasterChef co-star Gregg Wallace.
The Aussie restaurateur says they are "work colleagues" who have "always stayed work colleagues” - but there has certainly been no falling out.
Despite never saying a bad word about one another, the duo can't distance themselves from speculation of a long-running quarrel.
Foodie podcast Desert Island Dishes invited John on for a chat and the subject soon turned to his fellow chef - and if they actually do like each other.
Hosted by pro chef Margie Nomur, the presenter was grilled about their relationship after previously suggesting they are not pals.
But he said bluntly: “I don’t go to the pub with him, we don’t go to each other’s houses. We just don’t.”
John was then asked if himself and Gregg consider each other "friends" and he responded: "Yes friends, but... how do you define friends?
"If you're in a ditch one day and you are really in the kaka, you ring up and you go I need help, that's a friend. Gregg would do that, so he's a friend don't get me wrong."
John went on the say that he's never been to Gregg's house - and he's never been to his.
He told Margie: "He wouldn't know where to put me. He said he has CDO [OCD] and wants everything in the right order, it's one of his favourite jokes.
"But yeah, he wouldn't know where to put me!
"If he came to my house he wouldn't know what to do, you know he's got these behavioural things he does."
Their on-screen chemistry is undeniable, with the duo always laughing, joking and coming together to make decisions about contestants.
Appearing on The One Show in April, John told hosts Emma Willis and Ronan Keating: "We have the best job on television - we go to work and somebody feeds us, it’s just brilliant.
"Every year, we get the most group of people and great personalities and this year the people are different, they are from all walks of life."
Gregg then told fans: "And people still ask if we are really mates, 'Do you really get on because we heard you don't get on?'
"It's been nearly 20 years and I knew him 10 years before this, so we've known each other 30 years."
John added: "We've done 10 years not 19 series, so we are up to nearly 40 series, then you put professional on top of that and juniors, 19 years on TV. We feel lucky."
