Gregg Wallace and John Torode were both sacked last month after a report into conduct on the cooking show upheld allegations against them. The BBC decided to still show this year's amateur series - filmed before they were sacked - saying it was "the right thing to do" for the chefs who took part.

What do you want from this competition? Why are you here?” Gregg Wallace asked 70-year-old contestant Penelope at the start of the new series of MasterChef. Viewers wondered the same of the programme.

The channel said it was "the right thing to do" for the chefs who took part, but British broadcast union Bectu has criticized the BBC for rewarding "bad behavior" with prime-time coverage.