Gregg Wallace and John Torode were both sacked last month after a report into conduct on the cooking show upheld allegations against them. The BBC decided to still show this year's amateur series - filmed before they were sacked - saying it was "the right thing to do" for the chefs who took part.

BBC One's MasterChef lost nearly one million viewers during its return last night, marking the final series with hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode following their recent sacking

The channel said it was "the right thing to do" for the chefs who took part, but British broadcast union Bectu has criticized the BBC for rewarding "bad behavior" with prime-time coverage.