Second contestant edited out of Gregg Wallace and John Torode’s last collection

A second MasterChef contestant has been edited out of this yr’s scandal-hit collection, BBC Information can reveal.

A spokesperson for the present’s manufacturing firm, Banijay, mentioned: “One different contributor determined that given latest occasions they want to not be included. We have now after all accepted their needs and edited them out of the present.”

One other contestant, Sarah Shafi, was additionally faraway from the collection after asking for it to not be broadcast, following a report which upheld claims towards hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode.

The BBC determined to nonetheless present this yr’s beginner collection, which was filmed earlier than the pair had been sacked, saying it was “the appropriate factor to do” for the cooks who took half.

Nevertheless it confronted a backlash from some ladies who got here ahead, whereas the printed union Bectu mentioned unhealthy behaviour “shouldn’t be rewarded with prime-time protection”.

Former Superstar MasterChef contestant and BBC journalist Kirsty Wark additionally urged the BBC might have refilmed the collection with out the 2 co-hosts.

Within the occasion, each Wallace and Torode stay within the collection, which started final week on BBC One and on iPlayer.

However the episodes seem to have been edited to incorporate fewer jokes than typical, with much less chat between them and the cooks.

The episode which might have featured the second contestant was broadcast on BBC One on Wednesday night time, however solely featured 5 cooks reasonably than the same old six.

BBC Information understands the person has requested to not be recognized and they won’t characteristic within the present.

It is believed Shafi’s episode has not but aired.

The BBC beforehand mentioned it had not been “a straightforward resolution” to run the collection, including that there was “widespread help” among the many cooks for it going forward.

“In displaying the collection, which was filmed final yr, it under no circumstances diminishes our view of the seriousness of the upheld findings towards each presenters,” it mentioned.

“Nonetheless, we imagine that broadcasting this collection is the appropriate factor to do for these cooks who’ve given a lot to the method. We wish them to be correctly recognised and provides the viewers the selection to look at the collection.”

The controversy over MasterChef began final yr, when BBC Information first revealed claims of misconduct towards Wallace.

Final month, a report by the present’s manufacturing firm Banijay revealed that 83 complaints had been made towards Wallace with greater than 40 upheld, together with one in all unwelcome bodily contact and one other three of being in a state of undress.

He has insisted he was cleared of “essentially the most critical and sensational allegations”.

In a latest interview with The Solar, he mentioned he was “so sorry” to anybody he harm, however insisted that he was “not a groper, a intercourse pest or a flasher”.

The upheld grievance towards Torode associated to a severely offensive racist time period allegedly used on the set of MasterChef in 2018.

The presenter mentioned he had “no recollection” of it and that any racist language is “wholly unacceptable”.

Wallace might be changed by Irish chef Anna Haugh within the last episodes of the brand new collection, as that’s when the allegations towards him first emerged throughout filming in November.