John Torode's rocky love life from speedy divorce to 'cowardly' Lisa Faulkner letter

The hit TV show he presents might be in complete chaos, but one thing that John Torode can count on is his loyal wife's support.

The TV chef has found himself embroiled in the scandal engulfing his shamed MasterChef co-star Gregg Wallace, who has been sacked by the BBC after multiple allegations of misconduct were upheld following a seven-month investigation.

Now Torodehas confirmed he is the subject of an allegation of using racist language, which came out during the review into Wallace's conduct on the programme. On Instagram, the presenter confirmed he is the accused individual in the report but professed "no recollection of the incident" and expressed being "shocked and saddened".

Questions remain over the future of the show as Wallace's behaviour has rocked the industry, after nearly 20 years of presenting with Torode. Away from the scandal hitting the much-loved series, John has one of the strongest marriages in showbiz - but it wasn't always plain sailing.

READ MORE: Gregg Wallace's reduced life now - snubbed by pals, BBC 'warning shot' and shock new job

John, 59, is married to actress Lisa Faulkner, 53, with the couple presenting John and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen on ITV. While John has remained mostly tight-lipped on his former co-star Wallace's behaviour on-set, his wife has spoken out about what she witnessed on the show. Last December, she claimed that the presenter made 'rude joke after rude joke' during her time on MasterChef.

Wallace was said to be deeply upset that John and Lisa didn't support him when allegations first surfaced, and has since unfollowed the couple on Instagram. But John and Lisa's bond doesn't appear to have been shaken by the disaster unfolding behind the scenes of MasterChef, as they focus on their own joint television project which recently launched its tenth series.

Both of them have been married before; Lisa to Chris Coghill, who played Tony King in EastEnders. They share adopted daughter, Billie. John was previously married to a woman called Jessica and they have a son and daughter together.

John and Lisa, 52, met when she was a contestant on Celebrity MasterChef in 2010, first becoming firm friends before love blossomed. John and Jessica separated in 2011 but they didn't initially divorce until 2014, when their union was reportedly dissolved in a matter of seconds at the High Court.

While John and Lisa hit it off immediately, remaining friends after filming, Lisa insists there was nothing romantic between them at first. "He was a judge on a show I loved and I was petrified of him.

He was brilliant and gave us all tips so you didn't want to let him down," she said. "All I could think was, 'That sauce hasn't worked'. I didn't see anything but food for three months. After I won, we did The Good Food Show and stuff. John and I always got on, but I never thought about me and him."

Revealing how they eventually got together, Lisa told the Daily Mail in 2013 that everything changed after John wrote her a letter and asked her out to dinner. "John and I were friends. Neither of us thought of it as anything else until..." she said.

"I don't know how things change, but something does. He asked me on a date. We went out for dinner. Then it was slightly different. I'm really, really happy. John and I are having such a nice time but we're taking things slowly. There are lots of other people to consider."

John has since confessed that his letter for Lisa was 'cowardly' but it meant that there would be no awkwardness for him if she didn't want to date him.

He told the Daily Mail: "I'd separated from my wife [Jessica] which was awful, and I was reluctant to approach Lisa face to face as I didn't fancy the prospect of her saying no, so I wrote her a letter. If I'd got no response, it wouldn't matter. Cowardly? S***, yeah. I'm as cowardly as they get."

But things worked out in his favour and they began dating. The couple tied the knot in October 2019 and previously shared the secret to a happy marriage, insisting that it is a properly made bed.

Asked what makes their marriage work, John, 57, said: "A really well-made bed. You spend lots of time in it! Honestly, the bedroom – having that sanctuary of a place to go to, I think that's really important. And nice towels... Looking after yourself is as important as looking after each other."

Although it probably helps that the pair have undeniable chemistry - as Lisa said in an interview: "We really like and fancy each other!" And Lisa previously shared how proud she is of her husband, who last year accepted his MBE from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace, before celebrating with a fancy meal.

"I was really proud of John," shetold OK Magazine. "It's an amazing achievement and the fact he got to meet Prince William! Out of everybody in the royal family, that's who I'd have liked to have met!"

And earlier this month, John gave rare insight into the "changes" that have happened in their relationship after six years of marriage. Opening up in a joint interview to The Herald Magazine, the couple were asked how their dynamic has "evolved over the years".

John revealed: "Lisa and I learn from each other all the time. As we have been cooking and working together for many years, I am sure things have changed, but as it's been a constant and consistent journey, it's not something that we feel is noticeable.

"What is evident is that we love cooking, food and travel as much as, if not more than, we did when we first met," he added.

Lisa then chipped in to say: "We're always learning from each other […] We often do things differently, so I know I'm always learning something new from John, and I'm sure he would say the same."