United Kingdom 
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John Torode has transitioned from a chef trained in Australia to a household name in the UK with a career spanning over three decades in television and culinary arts, showcasing his expertise with numerous cooking shows and co-hosting MasterChef.
John Torode began working for the Conran Group as a sous-chef at their restaurants, including Le Pont de la Tour and Quaglino's in London.
John Torode first appeared on television on ITV's 'This Morning' in 1996 as a guest chef, and later with 'John And Lisa's Weekend Kitchen'.
John Torode co-presented the revamped 'MasterChef' program on BBC One from 2005 until 2025.
John Torode presented shows like 'New British Kitchen', 'John Torode's Australia', 'John Torode's Malaysian Adventure', 'Korean Food Tour', and 'John Torode's Asia' for the Good Food channel.
John Torode's series 'John Torode's Ireland' premiered on the Food Network in 2022.
John Douglas Torode was born on July 23, 1965, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. His early life involved a period living with his grandmother in Maitland, New South Wales, who introduced him to cooking. He began his culinary career at 16, attending catering college and undertaking an apprenticeship in Melbourne before moving to the United Kingdom in 1991. A year later he commenced working for the Conran Group at Le Pont de la Tour and Quaglino’s as a sous-chef, a period during which he first met Gregg Wallace, who supplied vegetables to the restaurant. Torode’s television debut came in 1996 on ITV’s ‘This Morning’, where he became a regular guest chef.
In 2000, Torode opened ‘Smiths of Smithfield’ in London, followed by ‘Cafeteria’ near Notting Hill Gate. His cookbook, ‘The Mezzo Cookbook’, received the James Beard Foundation Award for “Best Food Photography” in 1998. A pivotal career moment arrived in 2005 when he became the co-presenter and judge of the revamped ‘MasterChef’ on BBC One alongside Gregg Wallace, a role he held until 2025. This success led to spin-off series, including ‘Celebrity MasterChef’ and ‘Junior MasterChef’. Over the years, Torode has also hosted various food-focused television series, exploring cuisines from different regions, including ‘New British Kitchen’, ‘John Torode’s Australia’ (2014), ‘John Torode’s Argentina’ (2015), ‘John Torode’s Malaysian Adventure’ (2016), ‘Korean Food Tour’ (2017), ‘John Torode’s Asia’ (2017/2018), ‘John Torode’s Middle East’ (2018), ‘John Torode’s Ireland’ (2022), and ‘John & Lisa’s Food Trip Down Under’ (2024), demonstrating his range and dedication to culinary exploration. In 2019, he launched ‘John And Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen’ on ITV with his wife, Lisa Faulkner.
His contributions to food and charity were recognized in 2022 when he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), receiving the award from Prince William in 2023. In July 2025, an allegation of racist language use made against him was upheld following an inquiry commissioned by Banijay, the production company behind MasterChef. This led to the termination of his contract with BBC, effectively ending his role on MasterChef after two decades. Torode has stated he has no recollection of the alleged incident.
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