Matt Tebbutt has admitted his departure from MasterChef The Professionals after just one series ‘could have been handled a lot better.’
It was revealed last month that the TV chef, 52, would not return for the next series of the spin-off MasterChef format, which sees seasoned cooks take to the kitchen.
The Saturday Kitchen chef replaced Gregg Wallace as host of the 18th edition of the professional series, alongside Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti, but despite fans raving over his inclusion on the show he has confirmed he won’t be returning.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme, Matt told presenter Jaega Wise that the attention surrounding his exit was hard to deal with.
‘It was, yes, of course it is [difficult]. I mean, I’m not going to say I wasn’t upset. I was really upset. And it could have been handled a lot better. But it is what it is.’
‘You know, there’s worse things going on. You’ve got to be pretty resilient. It’s part of the game, really,’ he added.
Matt Tebbutt has admitted his departure from MasterChef The Professionals after just one series ‘could have been handled a lot better.’
‘I guess it’s like if you’re a politician, you’re going to get knocks. So it’s just par for the course, I think.’
Matt said that he ‘really enjoyed’ his stint on the show, but went into it knowing it was ‘a tough gig’, especially in light of Wallace’s departure.
Wallace, 61, was dismissed by the BBC last July after an investigation into 83 historical allegations of workplace misconduct, with 45 accusations against him subsequently upheld.
‘Walking into such an established show, whatever had happened before, you don’t want to be that guy that turns up and steamrollers everything,’ Matt explained.
‘To then go in and get to know the personalities of Monica and Marcus, and get to know the crew and still do your job and deliver, it was a lot.’
He said the highlight of the experience was forming bonds with the contestants. ‘I got really invested in the chefs,’ he admitted.
‘You see how hard these chefs work and then they have families, and then they go home and have these proper jobs and they still have to practice. They’ve got a lot resting on this.’
The BBC has been contacted by Daily Mail for comment.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme , Matt told presenter Jaega Wise that the attention surrounding his exit was hard to deal with
In March, after reports of his MasterChef exit began to circulate, Matt took to social media to address leaving the series.
He wrote on social media: ‘A lot of lovely people have contacted me about not doing the next series of MasterChef: The Professionals.
‘I was only ever doing one series and I loved judging on it and will continue working with MasterChef.’
Insiders had speculated that the format of having three judges proved to be a mistake, with a source telling The Sun: ‘Three was a bit of a crowd.’
‘He didn’t do anything wrong and will definitely come back to the series as a guest in the future,’ the source added of Matt.
‘But bosses simply realised that they could get away with just having Marcus and Monica at the helm, especially as their chemistry is great and they have a tight relationship.’
