MasterChef returns... with subtle reduction

THE final MasterChef series featuring sacked hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode began last night — with a clear reduction in their screen time and banter.

- By Mark Jefferies

Both were evidently sidelined or slightly airbrushed out in other elements of the BBC One series.

They can be seen in introductory shots of the BBC show’s episode one, with Torode saying: “This is the sort of stuff that dreams are made of.”

Wallace is seen telling a contestant: “That is a cracker of a job.”

Neither host is included in the preview photography for the three episodes currently available on iPlayer. Nor are they mentioned in the BBC’s synopsis of episode one.

On screen, the presenters, both 60, feature or are heard speaking for just over 25 minutes of the 58-minute episode, compared with about 30 minutes in the opening of the previous series.

Meanwhile, the invited guests trying dishes seem to fill some of the extra time, with longer comments made about the food.