November 29th 2024.
John Torode and Gregg Wallace, the infamous judges on MasterChef, have recently admitted that they are not as close as they seem on screen. Despite working together for almost 20 years, the pair have never been particularly close friends. This revelation comes after Gregg, aged 60, announced his departure from the show following an investigation into historical allegations of misconduct.
It all started when John, aged 59, stated in an interview seven years ago that they "aren't really friends." This sparked curiosity about their personal relationship and everything that has been said since then. But before we delve into that, let's take a look at how they first met.
Although they started hosting MasterChef together in 2005, John and Gregg had actually met years earlier. John, who had moved to the UK in the 1990s, was working at a restaurant in Chelsea when he first encountered Gregg, the owner of George Allan's Greengrocers. In a 2013 interview, John recalled his first impressions of Gregg, describing him as "unabashed at what he wanted to do" and having a "can-do attitude." However, when he found out that Gregg could potentially be his co-host on MasterChef, John had reservations due to Gregg's "big, brash, and loud" personality.
Despite their initial concerns, the show became a huge success, and the two men spent 200 days a year filming together. However, their relationship inevitably became strained, and they would often argue. John revealed that he wanted to expand their friendship, but he felt that Gregg wasn't on the same page.
In contrast, Gregg said that he could share his worries with John, but going to each other's houses would feel "weird" and could upset the delicate balance of their relationship. This was a year after John had acted as Gregg's best man at his wedding to his current wife, Anne-Marie Sterpini. John then dropped the bombshell that they were not actually friends, despite knowing each other for 26 years at that point. He joked that if he were to go to Gregg's house, Gregg would feel out of control due to his OCD.
However, the next year, during a joint interview, the two men gushed about each other. Gregg credited John for supporting him through his mental health struggles, while John praised Gregg's kindness and big heart. But in 2021, John made comments about their relationship again, stating that people found it difficult to understand why they weren't as friendly off-screen as they seemed on-screen.
Despite not being particularly close, John explained that they had a "calm and good" relationship and that it was well-documented that they didn't socialize outside of work. Gregg also poked fun at rumors of a rift, referencing John being his best man at his wedding.
Recently, John's wife and Holby City star, Lisa Faulkner, spoke about Gregg making "rude joke after rude joke" while she was competing on Celebrity MasterChef in 2010. She revealed that Gregg would tell these jokes to the crew, and she would often overhear them while trying to focus on her cooking.
Since the news of Gregg's departure from MasterChef, John has not commented, instead posting a selfie outside of his gym. It seems that despite not being close friends, the two men have maintained a professional relationship and have successfully hosted the show together for nearly 20 years. However, their personal relationship may not be as strong as many had thought.
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