Category News

Lisa Faulker met husband John Torode when she was competing on Celebrity MasterChef, admitting she was ‘petrified’ of the star when they first encountered

Lisa Faulkner is gearing up for a “big celebration” with her husband John Torode. The pair have been married for six years, having met when Lisa starred on MasterChef.

The couple toasted to the comeback of their beloved Weekend Kitchen on ITV this Sunday. Theprogramme looks set to carry on despite John’s recent departure from the BBC, as ITV confirms “no current changes to scheduling”.

With John’s 60th birthday just around the corner, Lisa, aged 53, is busy organising a memorable bash for her spouse’s big day.

Speaking with TV Times, she revealed: “I’ve got some nice things planned. It’s a big birthday so friends and family are having a celebration for him – which he knows about.”

John anticipates his milestone with expectations of “a little fizz and joy”. Former Spooks star Lisa has confessed that she was initially “petrified” of John when they first met, reports Wales Online.

At that time, both were wed to other partners, and after MasterChef ended, Lisa, who was married to Chris Coghill, and John, then with his first wife Jessica Thomas, maintained they were just friends.

However, following separations from their former spouses, the two embarked on a romance in 2010. Despite their strong connection now, Lisa admits her first impression of John was rather intimidating.

Last year, she recounted to the Mail: “He was a judge on a show I loved and I was petrified of him. He was brilliant and gave us all tips so you didn’t want to let him down. All I could think was, ‘That sauce hasn’t worked’.”

Lisa’s heart was eventually won by John with a romantic love letter, leading to their flourishing relationship. During a challenging period last year, John stood by Lisa when she spoke out about former MasterChef judge Gregg’s behaviour, describing it as a series of “rude joke after rude joke” during her 2010 appearance on the programme.

An investigation into Gregg’s time on the show was launched after there were 83 complaints submitted about his behaviour. Commissioned by production company Banjay, and led by lawyers Lewis Silkin, it upheld 45 complaints.

It also upheld complaints against two other people working on the show. John came forward earlier this week and revealed he was found to have used racist language eight years ago.

Despite this, the presenter has contested the claim, asserting that he has “no recollection of the alleged incident and does not believe that it happened”. Nevertheless, BBC executives chose not to renew the Australian presenter’s contract.

BBC director-general Tim Davie declined to repeat the specific words John is accused of saying. Addressing journalists, he stated: “I’m not going to give you the exact term, because I think, frankly it was a serious racist term, a serious racist term, which does not get to be acceptable in any way, shape or form.”

Discussing the longevity of MasterChef, the BBC chief expressed confidence: “I absolutely think it does (have a future), I think a great programme that’s loved by audiences is much bigger than individuals. It absolutely can survive and prosper, but we’ve got to make sure we’re in the right place in terms of the culture of the show.”

Writing on Instagram, John said he hoped he would have been able to “have some say” in how he left the show. It came as he admitted being unsure of what he was alleged to have said.

He lamented: “Although I haven’t heard from anyone at the BBC or Banijay – I am seeing and reading that I’ve been “sacked” from MasterChef and I repeat that I have no recollection of what I’m accused of. The enquiry could not even state the date or year of when I am meant to have said something wrong.

“I’d hoped that I’d have some say in my exit from a show I’ve worked on since its relaunch in 2005, but events in last few days seem to have prevented that. Over the past few months, I have been considering my life and the shape of it now and in the future. Celebrity MasterChef, which I recently filmed with Grace Dent along with two fantastic Christmas specials will be my last.

The high street retailer offers a ‘stylish’ £35 dress that resembles a designer alternative

New Look is stocking a new denim dress that resembles a designer style. The retailer is often a go-to destination for high-street customers shopping for summer dresses, and it might have introduced another crowd-pleaser. The fashion giant’s Navy Stretch Denim Square Neck Bodycon Midi Dress looks similar to another style by designer brand Jacquemus.

However, New Look’s dress is a fraction of the cost. It’s available for £34.99, whereas The de-Nîmes Spoglio denim dress is currently listed for £1,135 on Farfetch. Elsewhere, Jacquemus has the style on offer, currently listed for £525 from £745, and Flannels has listed the dress for £599 from £745, but again, New Look’s version is cheapest.

Both dresses are very similar in style, thanks to the matching denim look and fitted silhouette, with a square neck, shoulder straps, and rear slit. However, it’s worth noting that the navy dresses come in different lengths as New Look has opted for a midi style, whereas the designer version has a maxi length.

READ MORE: Primark shoppers ‘running’ for £8 top with ‘early 2000s’ style

READ MORE: Aldi’s new £10 gadget ‘so handy’ for making notes is ‘life hack’

There are also differences in material. The cheaper dress is made from 53% cotton, 27% polyester, 18% viscose, 2% elastane. In contrast, the designer alternative is 100% cotton.

The product description for the New Look dress says: “This denim dress offers a sleek silhouette that’s perfect for both casual and polished looks.” Elsewhere, the product description for the Jacquemus dress says it is made in Italy.

For shoppers looking for alternatives, there’s a selection of denim dresses available from different retailers. One similar option could be Bershka’s £35.99 Long denim dress with straps.

Alternatively, French Connection has discounted its Textured Square Neck Midi Dress from £59 to £24, or denim fans might prefer ASOS’s £45 chambray denim maxi dress with cinch waist seams in mid blue.

Nonetheless, customers might count the New Look option as their favourite. To date, the New Look dress only has two reviews, but it proved popular with both shoppers. One reviewer said: “Stylish summer dress. Lovely dress, nice length and great fit due to stretch in fabric lovely for summer.”

The second shopper wrote: “Fabulous dress – love love it!” However, shoppers might wish to read more reviews before considering a purchase. For instance, some customers on Trustpilot reported issues when they ordered dresses from the retailer.

An unhappy customer claimed: “Not sure what is going on with New Look but quality and sizing have declined and price gone up. I buy from both the tall and regular section. I’m telling you the tall is actually regular. I ordered 3 tall denim dresses. Nearly £30 each for the thinnest material ever certainly not denim.

“All sizes totally off 18 just fit but not usual my 14 to 16. Dress barely covered my bottom.” Another commented: “Picked up my order this week. Normally I’d try on in the shop but there was a queue so no bother.