MasterChef contestant's joy at seeing series on TV

Beth Hodgson said the cookery show was "about the contestants"

A MasterChef contestant said she was "so pleased" that the show's new series had aired, despite both of its presenters being sacked.

Gregg Wallace and John Torode were dismissed last month after a report into conduct on the cooking show upheld complaints 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.

Beth Hodgson from Northampton, who appeared in an episode which aired last week, said it was "an absolute joy to see our hard work, as it was meant to be, for the public".

She said: "I mean, the amount of hard work... can you imagine if [the show was cancelled and] you were in the whole thing and you won it?

"I understand, of course, why the BBC and Banijay UK (MasterChef's primary production company) had to really consider that... [but] this was about the contestants."

Ms Hodgson, 40, who works as a vocal coach, was named chef of the day in her appearance on the first episode of the show's 21st series in which she prepared an Indonesian prawn curry.

John Torode, left, and Gregg Wallace, presented MasterChef since 2005

The controversy over MasterChef started last year, when BBC News first revealed claims of misconduct against Wallace.

Last month, a report revealed that 83 complaints had been made against Wallace with more than 40 upheld, including one of unwelcome physical contact and another three of being in a state of undress.

Broadcast union Bectu said bad behaviour "should not be rewarded with prime time coverage", while a leading women's rights charity warned many people would feel "deeply uncomfortable" to see the show on their TV screens.

Some of the women who made allegations against Wallace also told BBC News they did not think it should be aired, with one saying it displayed "a blatant disregard for the people who have come forward".

Last month, one of the contestants on the new series of MasterChef said she was edited out after asking for it not to be broadcast.

Sarah Shafi told BBC Newsnight that "in an ideal world, what would have happened is that it would have been axed" out of respect to those people whose complaints were upheld.

Wallace insisted he was cleared of "the most serious and sensational allegations".

'Wholly unacceptable'

The upheld complaint against Torode related to a severely offensive racist term allegedly used on the set of MasterChef in 2018.

The presenter said he had "no recollection" of it and that any racist language was "wholly unacceptable".

Wallace will be replaced by Irish chef Anna Haugh in the final episodes of the new series, as that is when the allegations against him first emerged during filming in November.