MasterChef presenter John Torode has split up with his wife after four years of marriage, it emerged yesterday.
The 46-year-old separated from Jessica over Christmas, and he is believed to have left their five-bedroom £1.2million family home in Streatham, south-west London.
Last night, a close friend said: ‘It is very sad, particularly considering they have young children. They were such a nice couple.’
Split: Torode has parted from his wife Jessica after four years of marriage
Torode and his wife have two children together – Jonah, seven, and five-year-old Lulu. He also has two children – Marselle, 14, and Casper, 12 – from a previous relationship.
A spokesman for the star said yesterday: ‘John has always preferred to keep his personal life private and at this time we hope that people respect this.’
On New Year’s Eve, the chef cryptically told his Twitter followers: ‘Hello everyone, have been away but things needed doin…’ The couple moved in together in 2001 and married six years later.
He has told how he proposed after lining the hallway of their home with candles, buying a sapphire and diamond ring from Tiffany’s and placing it inside a diary, in which he had written their prospective wedding date.
Speaking of his marriage in 2008, he said: ‘I have a very loving wife called Jessica, who I married a year ago, and we’ve had two children together.
‘She makes sure my feet are firmly on the ground. And every so often she will say, “You were being a t**t, Torode”.’
Torode's on-screen relationship with Greg Wallace, left, boosted the ratings
Torode – along with co-host Gregg Wallace – has become a household name as a result of the success of MasterChef in recent years. The BBC series was originally hosted by Lloyd Grossman in a Sunday teatime slot from 1990 to 2000. A revamped show returned in 2005.
Since then, Torode and Wallace’s on-screen chemistry has seen it pull in audiences of more than five million viewers, as well as lead to spin-off programmes and a live event.
Originally from Melbourne, Torode moved to the UK when he was 25, joining the Conran Group in 1992 and working his way up through top London restaurants.
He has been credited as helping to introduce Australian food to the UK in the mid-1990s. The chef, who also appeared on ITV’s This Morning, runs his own business, which includes restaurants Smiths of Smithfield and the Luxe.
Speaking of his exhaustive work schedule, he said last year: ‘I have a great family who are very understanding and very supportive so I just have to knuckle down and thank my lucky stars.’
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