A former MasterChef winner has come out in support of sacked presenter John Torode. Thomasina Miers, who won the 2005 reboot of the BBC show, said the former host was “incredibly nurturing and supportive” towards contestants.

The latest season of MasterChef, hosted by fired presenters John Torode and Gregg Wallace, has been dealt a huge viewership blow. The first three episodes of the pre-recorded season, which the BBC ultimately decided to air despite the misconduct scandal, are available to watch on iPlayer, and new episodes are airing on BBC One at 8pm.