Matt Tebbutt has expressed his disappointment over the way his exit from MasterChef: The Professionals was managed by the BBC, stating that the situation 'could have been handled a lot better.' The 52-year-old television chef was brought in as the new presenter for the 18th series of the show in September 2025, replacing Gregg Wallace, who had left following a misconduct review. Tebbutt joined judges Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti, and the production moved to a new studio in Birmingham, marking a new chapter for the spin-off series.
Tebbutt's Emotional Response
In an interview with BBC Radio 4's The Food Programme, Tebbutt was asked about the difficulty of leaving the show. 'It was, yes, of course it is. 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,' he said. He added, 'You know, there's worse things going on. You've got to be pretty resilient. It's part of the game, really. 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.'
Despite the upset, Tebbutt acknowledged that he 'really enjoyed' his time on the show. He admitted that he knew joining MasterChef was a 'tough gig' after Wallace's departure. Wallace was dismissed by the BBC in July 2025 following an independent review that upheld 45 out of 83 misconduct allegations against him. Wallace later apologized, saying he was 'deeply sorry for any distress caused' and that he 'never set out to harm or humiliate' anyone.
Challenges of Joining an Established Show
Tebbutt explained the challenges he faced when stepping into the role. 'Walking into such an established show, whatever had happened before, you don't want to be that guy that turns up and steamrollers everything. 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.
Earlier, Tebbutt had challenged reports that he was axed from the programme. In a March Instagram post, he stated that he was 'only ever doing one series' of the cooking programme. He wrote, '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.'
A BBC spokesperson had previously told Metro that no decisions had been made about the presenting line-up for future series and that they would not comment on speculation. The latest series also featured a rotation of guest judges. Metro has contacted the BBC for further comment.
