John Torode has said Lisa Faulkner’s cancer diagnosis made his MasterChef sacking feel insignificant.
Appearing on Lorraine on Thursday, the chef described a tough period for the couple. He said: “When someone says the cancer word, everything else just disappears.”
Lisa’s breast cancer diagnosis earlier this year led to surgery and radiotherapy. In July, she announced she had been given the all-clear following surgery.
Lisa told Lorraine: “I am really good. I had surgery in the summer and then I had radiotherapy and I’m all done.”
Lisa Faulkner urges viewers to attend mammograms
Lisa said the cancer was caught very early while discussing breast density and the value of screening.
She explained: “There is a whole thing with breast density that we don’t know about.”
Her clearest advice was simple. She urged viewers: “Go for your mammograms.”
Radiotherapy proved draining, despite Lisa initially feeling fortunate about that stage of treatment. Lisa added: “I didn’t realise it would make me so tired!”
She said others had warned her not to dismiss its effects. Lisa also praised John’s practical support throughout her appointments.
She said John became her “eyes and ears” during consultations and wrote everything down. John stressed that men should educate themselves about breast cancer and support loved ones during care.
John Torode addresses his MasterChef sacking
His MasterChef dismissal came in July 2025 amid a reported row over alleged racist language.
The reported accusation involved singing lyrics containing a racial slur at a post-work party in 2019. John has said he does not remember the evening in question.
The BBC did not publish an official report about his case. He was reportedly dismissed by telephone while on holiday, following Gregg Wallace’s exit that July.
John later described the months afterwards as a period of grief. He also claimed the BBC had treated him like part of a machine.
On Lorraine, however, Lisa’s diagnosis gave those career troubles a stark new scale. Lorraine Kelly suggested the health crisis had put work problems into perspective.
John Torode and Lisa Faulkner promote new cookbook
Thursday’s Lorraine appearance also had a forward-looking purpose. The couple promoted their new cookbook, John and Lisa’s Weeknight Dinners.
Read more: John Torode reveals state of his relationship with Gregg Wallace now after MasterChef scandals
Lisa first met John while competing on Celebrity MasterChef in 2010, which she won. They became a couple two years later after John invited her to dinner.
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