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Who is John Torode and how long has he presented MasterChef with former co-host Gregg Wallace?
Find out the sweet way he met his wife Lisa Faulkner
JOHN Torode is best known for being the straight-talking co-host and judge of MasterChef.
However, in December 2024, the future of the BBC show came into question after his co-judge Gregg Wallace was accused of misconduct.
How old is John Torode?
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John Torode was born in Melbourne on July 23, 1965.
He is best known for his role as a judge on MasterChef, starring in both the British and Australian versions of the show.
At 16, John left school to attend catering college.
After a decade of training, he moved to London in 1991, to work as a sous chef at Quaglino's, under restaurateur Sir Terence Conran, who he describes as a "genius".
While working at Quaglino's, John first met his fellow MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace, who was running a vegetable supply company.
In 2022, John was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to food and charity.
As well as his TV work, the popular star has also published and sold a number of cookbooks.
Becoming a TV chef
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John began his career as a TV chef in 1996 when he cooked on ITV's This Morning, and has been a regular on the show ever since.
But he got his big television break when he landed the role of co-judge on MasterChef in 2005.
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He got the job when the BBC show was rebooted with him and Gregg as the new presenters, replacing the late Gary Rhodes.
Following John’s popularity on MasterChef, he has fronted the celebrity spin-off version of the show.
He has also presented his own TV shows, including John Torode's Middle East, and John Torode’s Ireland.
Masterchef makes major pasta blunder as John Torode speechless by unusual technique
Meeting Lisa
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Lisa Faulkner, famed for shows like EastEnders, Brookside and Holby City, first crossed paths with John in 2010 when she won Celebrity MasterChef.
At the time they were both married.
Lisa was with actor Chris Coghill, who she shares an adoptive daughter with.
And John was with his first wife Jessica Thomas.
Lisa divorced Chris in April 2012, after a seven-year marriage, and six months later, Lisa went public with her relationship with John.
John had been married to wife Jessica since 2007, but the couple split in 2011.
Since Lisa and John got together, they have frequently appeared alongside each other on cooking segments for morning TV.
John asked her to marry him on Christmas Day 2018, and they went on to wed the following year.
The TV chef later revealed how Lisa forgot to say “yes” when he popped the question.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, he said: "She said yes which was so lovely.
"But in fact she didn't say yes for three and a half hours.
“She was so gobsmacked. I ended up saying to her, 'are you going to say yes?' and she gasped and said, 'have I not said yes?'
"The other thing was she was so frustrated we were in a different time zone so she couldn't tell anyone."
Relationship with Gregg Wallace
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Gregg and John previously revealed how they “get on” but tend to “keep things professional”.
They both appeared on The One Show in 2021, where they talked about their friendship and working relationship.
Gregg said: "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."
However, in November 2024, their relationship became strained when Gregg was accused of misconduct and stepped down from his role as co-judge on MasterChef.
John has yet to respond publicly to the accusations made against his co-star.
The Sun reported how Gregg is reportedly “furious” with John for not speaking out in his defence, and has unfollowed him and his wife Lisa on Instagram.
A source said: “Gregg is absolutely furious and is convinced he has done nothing wrong.
“Seeing John keeping quiet amid all of this has irked him hugely. Gregg and John have been colleagues for almost two decades and while they aren’t the closest of friends, Gregg feels John could say something.
“He has deleted them from his Instagram account now and unfollowed both of them.”
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