John Torode and his wife Lisa Faulkner's Weekend Kitchen is reportedly set to be dropped by ITV despite the broadcaster's vow to back the TV chef after his racism controversy on the BBC
13:23, 29 Dec 2025Updated 14:14, 29 Dec 2025
John Torode and Lisa Faulkner's ITV cookery show is reportedly set to be axed, amid ITV budget cuts. The show has not yet been renewed for another series.
Torode and Faulkner, who are married, host Weekend Kitchen, but this is thought to be on the chopping block amid slashes to ITV's budget for daytime shows.
According to a source, a tenth series for Weekend Kitchen is not likely. ITV's commissioning team are not thought to have made a final decision and Torode still hosts cookery items on This Morning. But slashes to ITV's budget have already affected some of the broadcaster's biggest shows, such as Loose Women, which has been made a season and part time show running for 30 weeks rather than all year.
The source told The Sun: "John is facing a nervous wait about Weekend Kitchen but it's not looking good. The commissioning team have still not made a decision. Budgets are being slashed and the show is expensive to make."
They added that it would be a "major blow" to Torode if the show was scrapped. "He had a really tough time after being sacked from the BBC. He is pushing forward with Lisa and is working hard on a new YouTube cooking show which has been well-received. Naturally, he's hoping his ITV show will get a redeeming nod but he's prepared for the worst."
Though he has not been dropped by ITV and is still set to do his segments on This Morning, the uncertainty comes after a tough year for Torode. Earlier this year, he was axed from the BBC following allegations he had used racist language in 2018. These allegations were brought to light as part of a wider investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and misuse of power against his co-host Gregg Wallace, who was also sacked. MasterChef: Champion of Champions, airing on 29 December, will be Torode's final appearance on the BBC show. These allegations are not linked to whether or not Weekend Kitchen would return.
Torode has said he has "no recollection" of using racist language and that he does not believe it happened. However, in a statement, the BBC said: "This allegation - which involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace - was investigated and substantiated by the independent investigation led by the law firm Lewis Silkin.
"The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously. We will not tolerate racist language of any kind and we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken. John Torode's contract on MasterChef will not be renewed."
At the time, ITV were said to be holding 'crisis talks' about whether or not to continue airing Weekend Kitchen, which had been on the network since 2019. ITV's director of media and entertainment, Kevin Lygo, confirmed to The Sun that they had decided to continue airing the series: "[It] felt it was a bit much for us to jump on the bandwagon and just deny these shows to go out."
ITV have continued to work with Torode following the allegations and have not shown any desire not to work with him going forward.
Torode, who married Faulkner in 2019, has spoken about how he has had to go to therapy to cope with what happened with MasterChef. He wrote on Substack: "Life has changed for ever for me and for those close to me. There is no sympathy searching here just honesty." He added: "Therapy over the past few months has entitled me to no longer 'be brave' but instead be real."
The Mirror has reached out to representatives for both Torode and Faulkner for comment. ITV has chosen not to comment.
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