BBC director-general Tim Davie says he believes MasterChef does have a future with the broadcaster beyond 2028, following the independent report into allegations of misconduct against Gregg Wallace.
The report into Wallace, released on Monday, found a total of 45 out of the 83 allegations of misconduct made during his time on the show were substantiated, including one allegation of “unwelcome physical contact”.
It also prompted Wallace’s co-presenter John Torode to confirm he had a standalone allegation of racist language upheld in the same report.
Speaking as the BBC’s annual report was released, Davie said he "absolutely" thinks the show has a future.
“It absolutely can survive and prosper, but we’ve got to make sure we’re in the right place in terms of the culture of the show," he said.
However, Davie said there was "no place" for inappropriate behaviour at the corporation, adding: “This is a time of transition for the industry, a reset, and the changes we are driving are overdue.”
In November 2024, the show’s production company, Banijay UK, announced Wallace would step away from his role on the BBC cooking show while historical allegations of misconduct were investigated.
During the release of the annual report, BBC chair Samir Shah revealed for the first time that several members of staff had been dismissed as a result of an independent review of workplace culture commissioned by the BBC.
He said: “This is the first time we’re going to say this publicly, several people have been dismissed as a result (of the review).
“But that, alongside the way the executive responded to the Banijay report into MasterChef yesterday, and I want audiences to feel confident that we are addressing these challenges."
Davie added the corporation has faced a "tough period" following a series of high-profile scandals over the last year, and admitted that mistakes have been made.
The BBC has been criticised for a series of failings in recent months which included breaching its own accuracy editorial guidelines, livestreaming the controversial Bob Vylan set during Glastonbury, and recent misconduct allegations surrounding the BBC MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace.
