MasterChef

“To show how seriously the BBC takes the allegations against the presenters, they have edited out their jokes. Disgraced presenters might still be permitted to do continuity and exposition, but under no circumstances must they do banter. Instead, they talk earnestly about the contestants’ backgrounds and the food they are cooking. It is an intriguing idea, that after a scandal you could still be Ernie but not Eric.”
Ed Cumming, The Telegraph

“As formulaic as it is, I’ve learned so much about food watching it – plus, its high stakes, high emotions and, yes, highly skilled presenters, make it excellent telly. It’s far from the most important thing to come out of all this, but I can’t help but feel a bit sad on multiple levels that MasterChef – both now and in future, when new presenters are decided – has lost some of that familiarity and comfort.”
Emily Bootle, The i

“It is neutered, perhaps, but it’s still the same MasterChef.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“The BBC’s solution is to sieve out all but the blandest moments featuring Greg Wallace and John Torode. We see them asking innocuous questions about dishes and then grinning silently at the answers. Almost all his cheesy banter has gone. As a result, the hour is as tepid and flavourless as the water strained from a pan of spaghetti. The judges might as well be a pair of AI robots.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“It was always going to be a challenge to be faithful to the series while also editing out the two people at the centre of it, but if episode one is anything to go by, it seems the BBC and Banijay have decided essentially to ignore the problem and hope that putting out more or less the same show as ever will suffice.”
Hannah J Davies, The Guardian