John Torode has sent an emotional message to incoming MasterChef presenter Grace Dent.
Torode, 60 - who was axed from the BBC programme last year - starred on Celebrity MasterChef with Dent, 52.
In September, Dent said she was “over the moon” to be hosting MasterChef alongside Irish chef Anna Haugh.
And Torode had nothing but praise for Dent on his Substack, who he called a “strong extraordinary woman”, according to The Mirror.
“Grace stands up for all that she believes in and supports,” he wrote.
“Graceful and never scared of doing the right thing or worried that the cult might too ostracize her.
“It was a privilege to stand by her side. Her support [is] unfailing.”
Torode also called his wife Lisa Faulkner, who he married in 2019 after meeting on Celebrity MasterChef, “my Rock, my best friend, my love, my wife, a Wonder Woman”.
Dent has previously shown public support for Torode, calling him “one of the kindest, most concerned, clever, thoughtful men that I know.”
Former judges Gregg Wallace and Torode were sacked from the show following a review into Wallace’s alleged misconduct.
In November 2024 it was announced that Wallace would step away from his role on the BBC cooking show while historical allegations of misconduct were investigated.
Wallace, 61, issued an apology saying he was “deeply sorry for any distress caused” and that he “never set out to harm or humiliate” in the wake of the Lewis Silkin review, published in July, that saw 45 out of 83 allegations made against him upheld.
Torode was the subject of an allegation about using racist language that was upheld as part of the review and the BBC and production company Banijay UK subsequently agreed they would “not renew his contract on MasterChef”.
He said he had “no recollection of the incident” and was “shocked and saddened” by the allegation.
The chef also addressed his MasterChef axe in a recent post, insisting he is “moving on” and has “nothing to prove”.
“The best decision I ever made? To be quiet and move on. I have nothing to prove. I’m not here to convince anyone to love me or that I’m a great person,” he wrote on Instagram.
