John Torode: ‘Gregg can get it wrong...’
MasterChef judge John Torode explains how he’s learnt to live with Gregg Wallace, why he’s banned from discussing the show at home and his marriage to Lisa Faulkner...
As MasterChef fires up for its 16th series, Aussie chef John Torode, 54, is raring to go with former greengrocer Gregg Wallace, 55, by his side. And off-screen he’s got plenty to be cheerful about, too, especially after tying the knot in October to fellow cook Lisa, who turns 48 on February 19. The pair met back in 2010 when former EastEnders actress Lisa took part in, and won, Celebrity MasterChef. Sporting his holiday glow from their honeymoon in Mauritius last month, John’s firing on all cylinders as he talks veganism, locking horns with Gregg, and why he’s sick of scallops…
What’s the feeling like at the start of a new series?
A new MasterChef is just ace – it’s the most exciting time of the year for me. You don’t know what’s going to happen. All we can rely on is that we are going to eat really good food at some stage in the competition, and we’re going to meet new people.
What are the things that wind you up most?
I am so bored of raw scallops! The problem is that they grow in different places, in different waters, at different temperatures, therefore the muscle structure can be different in every scallop. And every single scallop you cook is different, so you can’t put 10 in a pan and think they will cook at the same time.
Veganism has been a trend this year...
We’ve added a new challenge this year which is plant-based – I think it’s a really good thing. It’s really easy to build a dish around a lump of meat or protein, if you take that away then you see a bit more of a challenge. I used to run a meat restaurant and I don’t eat nearly as much meat as I used to.
How much weight do you put on during the show?
On a series, I usually put on about half a stone, because your body stores stuff, it does. I try to cycle as much as I can but I just put it on and then I work it off. It’s fun, it’s a terrible problem to have [ he laughs]. I’ve
‘During a series I usually put on about half a stone’
got to eat every day. Shocking! If you’re putting on weight it’s a good problem to have, because if you’re losing weight then you’re probably not eating enough and not trying enough food.
Isn’t the food cold by the time you taste it?
The studio is about 21-22°C, so it’s still warm – it’s not fridge cold. Toast and soup isn’t always hot when you have it and the best thing about a roast dinner, in my opinion, is the last bit of gravy and Yorkshire pudding, and that’s definitely not hot.
Do you talk to Lisa about the show?
We have a rule in our house: I don’t talk MasterChef. Lisa gets really invested in the contestants. Then, of course, she’ll get despondent if she sees the person she is rooting for in the show, thinks they’re really good and I’ve sent them home!
When you and Lisa cook at home, do you critique each other?
We actually just cook with each other and we like each other. It’s always quite good!
Do you and Gregg ever disagree?
I think we both stamp our feet at least once, if not twice, a series and I think that’s really good. One of the things we both admire about each other is that we both care but we have our own lives, we have our personalities, we have our own likes and dislikes. I think because of that, we end up with a pretty equalised judging opinion. We both respect each other’s opinions – sometimes he gets it wrong, but that’s OK.
Do you get recognised a lot?
I’ve just found out MasterChef is really popular in Sri Lanka. I was out filming over there and all these people started coming up and I was like, ‘ Wow’. Apparently, we’re on the National Geographic channel over there. There are a lot of places that show it now and also it’s shown on planes. I was in a cab the other day and the driver said, ‘Don’t you start knocking down walls in here!’ He thought I was the bloke from DIY SOS! l MasterChef returns on Monday 24 February at 9pm on BBC One