Shelving the 24-episode series would have meant millions of pounds of production work being wasted. After much internal agonising, BBC bosses agreed to run the series but told Banijay to re-edit the programmes to reduce the viewers’ exposure to the shamed presenters.
An insider said: “They looked at all the options like erasing the presenters altogether and relying on voice-over, but that wasn’t practical, they are so integral to the show.
“The best solution was to keep the Wallace and Torode shots and banter to a minimum and focus as much as possible on the contestants so their journey becomes more foregrounded.”
Editors were on the lookout for any presenters’ jokes that might have a sexual element, which would hit the cutting room floor, The i Paper understands.
I have written out what they should have done below, in script form.
TITLE SEQUENCE - 30 SECONDS
CUT TO:
INT. EMPTY MASTERCHEF SET. DAY (OR NIGHT, YOU CAN'T TELL)
V/O
(BRIAN BLESSED, SCREAMING)
YES
CUT TO:
INT. MASTERCHEF SET WITH PEOPLE IN IT. DAY
ROW OF CONTESTANTS, SOLEMNLY NODDING
CUT TO:
INT. UNIDENTIFIABLE BIT OF SOMETHING THAT MAY BE A WALL
V/O
(BRIAN BLESSED)
YEEEEESSSSSSS