Inside John Torode’s ‘cowardly’ letter to wife Lisa and real feelings on Gregg Wallace

Celebrity chefs and Lisa Faulkner went through a sticky friendship before their relationship blossomed into a romantic one.

The pair had to work hard to achieve their happily ever after, with John himself previously confessing to writing a “cowardly” letter he sent his now-wife in the early stages of their budding relationship.

The co-hosts first crossed paths during Lisa’s triumphant stint on back in 2010, where she not only clinched the title but also captured John’s affection.

At the time, both were involved in other relationships, leading them to forge a friendship rather than a romance. It wasn’t until they were both single that John took the leap to express his feelings, reports .

The pair, who eventually married in 2019, owe their union to MasterChef. The Holby City star recently opened up about her experience working with John’s co-star , who stepped back from the show following a probe into misconduct allegations.

Lisa recalled how the 60-year-old TV chef consistently made “rude joke after rude joke” during her participation in the series.

While promoting their latest culinary book, John and Lisa’s Kitchen, at the Cheltenham Literature Festival last month, Lisa recounted one of Gregg’s off-colour remarks.

She hesitantly noted, “I’m probably not allowed to say this” before she shared her awkward encounters with the star. As reported by the , Lisa told the audience: “Gregg just told rude joke after rude joke to the crew.

“You’re just sitting there, and if you’re on the front bench just chopping away thinking, ‘I’ve got ten minutes left’, and he’s saying, ‘So this girl walked into a bar… And I’m going, ‘Please, I don’t want to hear this joke'”.

John has so far stayed out of the drama surrounding his co-presenter, focusing instead on posting gym selfies on his social media after the allegations came to light.

However, past comments about his relationship with Gregg have resurfaced, where he admitted that the two aren’t friends outside of the popular show.

Both John, 59, and Lisa, 52, have been married previously. Actress Lisa was once married to Chris Coghill, known for his role as Tony King in , and together they adopted a daughter named Billie.

Australian-British chef John, on the other hand, married a woman named Jessica in 2000, with whom he shares two children, a son and a daughter.

The couple parted ways in 2011, but it wasn’t until 2014 that their marriage officially ended, reportedly being dissolved in seconds at the High Court.

John met Lisa back in 2010 when she was a contestant on the show he judged, and they instantly clicked, forming a friendship that lasted beyond the programme.

Speaking about how they became friends on the show, she gushed: “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.

She added: “All I could think was, ‘That sauce hasn’t worked’. I didn’t see anything but food for three months. After I won, we did The Good Food Show and stuff. John and I always got on, but I never thought about me and him.”

Lisa opened up to the in 2013 about how their relationship blossomed from friendship to romance after John penned her a heartfelt letter and invited her out for dinner.

The actress-turned-cook revealed: “John and I were friends. Neither of us thought of it as anything else until… I don’t know how things change, but something does.

“He asked me on a date. We went out for dinner. Then it was slightly different. I’m really, really happy. John and I are having such a nice time, but we’re taking things slowly. There are lots of other people to consider.”

John later admitted to the that his decision to write to Lisa instead of approaching her directly was “cowardly”, explaining that he feared rejection following his separation from his wife Jessica.

He told the outlet: “I’d separated from my wife [Jessica] which was awful, and I was reluctant to approach Lisa face to face as I didn’t fancy the prospect of her saying no, so I wrote her a letter. If I’d got no response, it wouldn’t matter. Cowardly? S***, yeah. I’m as cowardly as they get.”

Thankfully, fate smiled on him, and they started dating before eventually getting hitched in 2019. John has previously revealed his secret to marital bliss, claiming it all comes down to a perfectly made bed.

When quizzed about the key to their successful marriage, John divulged: “A really well-made bed. You spend lots of time in it! Honestly, the bedroom having that sanctuary of a place to go to, I think that’s really important. And nice towels… Looking after yourself is as important as looking after each other.”

It certainly doesn’t hurt that the couple still share a strong connection – as Lisa expressed in an interview: “We really like and fancy each other!” Moreover, Lisa recently voiced her immense pride for her husband, who in February was honoured with an MBE from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace, followed by a lavish celebration meal.

Sharing her excitement with OK Magazine, Lisa said: “I was really proud of John,” adding, “It’s an amazing achievement, and the fact he got to meet ! Out of everybody in the royal family, that’s who I’d have liked to have met! “.