John Torode and Lisa Faulkner's ITV cooking show 'set to be rested in 2026' months after MasterChef scandal

John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen has been broadcasting on ITV since 2019, with the famous couple fronting the weekend show.

However, The Sun now reports that the series is expected to be axed by ITV in the new year, with John and Lisa “preparing for the worst” as they await word on the future of their show.

A source told the newspaper: “John is facing a nervous wait about Weekend Kitchen but it’s not looking good. The commissioning team have still not made a decision. Budgets are being slashed and the show is expensive to make.

“It will be a major blow to John. He had a really tough time after being sacked from the BBC. He is pushing forward with Lisa and is working hard on a new YouTube cooking show which has been well-received. Naturally, he’s hoping his ITV show will get a redeeming nod but he’s prepared for the worst.”

It comes after Torode was sacked from MasterChef after a scandal over the alleged misconduct of the Aussie chef and his onscreen co-presenter Gregg Wallace. An independent report into claims substantiated 45 out of 83 complaints against Wallace, while Torode admitted that he was the subject of an allegation of using racist language.

MasterChef production company Banijay UK and the BBC confirmed at the time that Torode’s contract would not be renewed amid the storm of the scandal, which also saw Wallace lose his role on the show.

ITV previously decided not to axed Torode’s show, with the broadcaster's director of media and entertainment, Kevin Lygo, explaining at the time that ITV “felt it was a bit much for us to jump on the bandwagon and just deny these shows to go out.” He also added that no complaints had been made about Torode’s behaviour on the set of any ITV shows.

John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen returned to screens for a Christmas edition, beginning in late November. The final episode of the series is still expected to air on Saturday, January 3.