A contestant who took part in the latest series of MasterChef has claimed she was edited out after she called for it to be taken off the air.
Leeds-based Sarah Shafi said she believed the upcoming broadcast of MasterChef should be axed following allegations of sexual misconduct and racist language against former presenters Gregg Wallace and John Torode respectively.
The BBC announced that the amateur series of the programme featuring Gregg and John would go ahead, despite both presenters having been dropped from the programme since it was filmed at the end of last year.
Sarah, a management development partner for St John Ambulance, told The Guardian that she believed airing the show would convey a negative message about how women should be treated.
The 57-year-old, who previously appeared onChannel 4‘s Come Dine With Me in 2011, said she rejected an initial offer by the show’s producers, Banijay, to edit her out of the upcoming series.
Sarah said she was ‘flabbergasted’ by the ‘solution’ offered to her when she raised her concerns about the broadcasting of the show after the recent allegations against Gregg and John.
‘My point was not about me not being associated with it,’ she said, adding that she ‘[objected] strongly’ to the show being aired at all.
She suggested that the broadcaster film and air a ‘special show’ that ‘excludes those prominent figures – but focuses on the talent’ instead.
Sarah Shafi, 57, who previously appeared on Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me, has said she was edited out of the new series of MasterChef after she ”objected strongly’ to the series being aired
It comes after the BBC announced the series would go ahead despite both presenters, Gregg Wallace, 60, and John Torode, 60, being dropped from the show
However, Sarah later agreed to be edited out after it was announced that the BBC would air the series from August 6.
She told the publication that ‘prominent figures have been abusing their power’, adding that there has been an ‘enabling environment’ that allowed ‘individual powerful men’ to act inappropriately.
In response to Sarah’s complaint, the BBC said that Banijay had ‘consulted with all the contestants before that decision was made’ and received ‘widespread support’ to go ahead with broadcasting the show.
‘We are sorry that this contestant does not support the decision and we are grateful she raised this with both the BBC and Banijay.’
A Banijay UK spokesperson added in a statement: ‘We are sorry that Sarah does not support the decision to air this series of MasterChef.
‘We carefully considered her concerns about broadcasting the series and discussed them with the BBC.
‘However, having consulted with all contributors in the series ahead of the decision being made, the resounding feeling from those taking part was support for airing the series.’
The BBC also published a statement on the upcoming broadcast of MasterChef to explain its decision, hailing the series as ‘life-changing for the amateur chefs taking part‘.
Gregg was sacked from the BBC following a nine-month investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct
His co-presenter John was also recently fired after a report upheld an allegation he had used racist language, which he said he had ‘no recollection’ of
The duo have presented MasterChef since 2005 and this year’s series celebrates 20 years of the highly popular cooking competition
‘This has not been an easy decision in the circumstances and we appreciate not everyone will agree with it,’ the broadcaster said.
‘In showing the series, which was filmed last year, it in no way diminishes our view of the seriousness of the upheld findings against both presenters.
‘We have been very clear on the standards of behaviour that we expect of those who work at the BBC or on shows made for the BBC.
‘However, we believe that broadcasting this series is the right thing to do for these cooks who have given so much to the process.
‘We want them to be properly recognised and give the audience the choice to watch the series.’
Gregg, 60, was fired from the BBC following a nine-month sexual misconduct investigation.
It came after he faced accusations of inappropriate behaviour from at least 13 people last year, including allegations of inappropriate jokes, groping crew members, and walking around the set naked with a sock on his penis.
This month, the BBC received 50 new claims about Gregg, including 11 people who claimed to have been subjected to inappropriate sexual behaviour such as groping and touching.
Gregg is now pivoting to becoming a fitness and life guru and is selling a subscription for men to join his Healthy Fifty plan
The disgraced former presenter, who has worked for the BBC for 21 years, insisted he had been cleared of the ‘most serious and sensational accusations’.
A report from Banijay upheld 45 of the complaints that had been made against Gregg.
The same report upheld an allegation of racist language against MasterChef’s other presenter, John, which he has said he has ‘absolutely no recollection of‘.
In a statement, John said he was ‘shocked and saddened by the allegation’, which ultimately resulted in his sacking.
Gregg gained further criticism after he blamed his recent diagnosis of autism for his inability to discern what statements should not have been made on set.
He said he now recognised ‘that some of my humour and language, at times, was inappropriate’ but insisted he was hired as ‘the cheeky greengrocer’ and as ‘areal person with warmth, character, rough edges and all’.
‘For over two decades, that authenticity was part of the brand. Now, in a sanitised world, that same personality is seen as a problem,’ he added in lengthy statement released on Instagram ahead of Banijay’s report.
The former greengrocer also accused the BBC of doing nothing to ‘investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over twenty years’.
A report from The Times also quoted Gregg’s supporters as saying his autism meant he is unable to ‘wear underwear’ due to his ‘autistic hypersensitivity to labels and tight clothing’.
Disability charities criticised the TV personality for blaming his autism for his inappropriate behaviour.
One charity which hit back at the claims told BBC News that autism is ‘not a free pass for bad behaviour’, adding that such comments ‘stigmatise’ autistic people and ‘add an unfortunate negative focus on our community’.
Another expressed similar condemnation, saying that ‘being autistic is never an excuse for misconduct’ and having the condition ‘doesn’t absolve anyone of responsibility’.
Royale revealed earlier this month that Gregg is urgently plotting a ‘survival plan’ after the BBC told him it had ‘no plans to work with him in future’ leaving his television career in tatters.
As part of his remodeling as a fitness guru, he’s selling a subscription for men to join his Healthy Fifty plan – including a private middle-aged male-only chat room for £11.99 a month.
It was announced in December that food critic Grace Dent will replace Gregg in future episodes of MasterChef.
It has not yet been announced who will replace John, although bookies OLGB have predicted that the presenter’s spot could be taken over by TV royalty Rylan Clark, 36, Bake Off star Nadiya Hussain, 40, or celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, 50.
After the top three come French TV maitre d’ Fred Sireix, 53, chef Tom Kerridge, 51, and Great British Menu host and Gogglebox star Andi Oliver, 62.
Other names up there include rapper Big Zuu, 29, chefs James Martin, 53, and Gordon Ramsay, 58, and TV presenter Holly Willoughby, 44.
