Lisa Faulkner ‘on verge of tears’ as she and John Torode address difficult time

ITV stars John Torode and Lisa Faulkner reflected on a difficult chapter in their lives as they look towards the next stage of their careers

John Torode and Lisa Faulkner have opened up about a recent emotional moment that left them both upset. In what has been a turbulent year for the pair, John was dropped from MasterChef, while Lisa underwent surgery after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

While they have now turned their attention to new career ventures, the couple explained why a recent moment proved particularly emotional.

Back in July, Lisa revealed that she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and had undergone surgery to remove the cancer.

Following the successful operation, she said she was “very grateful to be here”. The experience was not only difficult physically for Lisa, but also emotionally, as it brought back painful memories of losing her mum, Julie, who died from throat cancer aged just 44.

Lisa admitted that for years she would emotionally “shut down” whenever cancer was mentioned, as the subject was so closely tied to her grief.

Speaking to The Times, she explained that she had almost needed to convince herself it could never happen to her — before having to come to terms with the fact that it had.

She said the diagnosis had forced her to revisit her mother’s death, describing how she recently retrieved her mum’s honeymoon outfit from the loft, only to discover that it had disintegrated.

According to the publication, Lisa looked on the verge of tears as she continued: “It has meant I revisited losing her.

“And I was going through her jewellery last night,” she continued, to which John added: “We both got a bit upset, didn’t we?”

Speaking to fans after her diagnosis, Lisa said she was grateful to have attended her mammogram and urged others not to put theirs off, stressing how important early detection can be.

Following the operation, Lisa told supporters that she still had some healing to do, but had been given the all-clear. She added that she was feeling well and “so much better”.

John said the diagnosis “changed absolutely everything” for him, particularly after what had been a difficult period professionally.

He explained that his priorities had narrowed to what matters most — his health and being with Lisa — with everything else feeling secondary.

His comments come a year after he was dropped by the BBC as a MasterChef judge following an allegation that he used an “extremely offensive racist term”, which was upheld.

At the time, the chef said he did not remember the incident and claimed the investigation could not specify when it was alleged to have taken place.

It is understood the complaint related to John singing along to Kanye West’s Gold Digger at a 2019 wrap party — something he says he has no recollection of.

John later confirmed that his final appearances would be on Celebrity MasterChef, which he filmed with Grace Dent, as well as two Christmas specials.

The couple have since turned their attention to their own YouTube channel, John and Lisa’s Kitchen and Home, as they embark on their next chapter together.