They first met in London in 1991 when the Australian native was working in a restaurant while his pal was a greengrocer.
And 31 years later, MasterChef stars John Torode and Gregg Wallace have remained close friends, with the duo knowing each other “so well” they can even sense if something is wrong with the other.
In a candid new interview, John, 56, opened up about their strong bond but admitted they “have their moments” as he detailed their 6am phone calls, being “honest” and accepting of each other’s weaknesses.
Pals: MasterChef stars John Torode and Gregg Wallace have remained close friends, with the duo knowing each other “so well” they can even sense if something is wrong with each other
Speaking to The Times about his upcoming new show, John Torode’s Ireland, talk soon turned to John’s longtime relationship with pal Gregg, 57, with whom he has run MasterChef for 18 years.
And while things are going well between the two, John couldn’t help but point out that Gregg’s early morning phone calls have become a bone of contention between the pair.
He explained: “We know each other so well. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have our moments. With Gregg, my problems are the 6am phone calls.
“The last time it happened I wasn’t very happy and I said, ‘Gregg, mate, it’s 6 a.m.’ And he said, ‘But you’re on my list!’ That’s the thing about Gregg, he gets up very early and his whole life is kept in journals and kept on lists.’
Closing: In a candid new interview, John, 56, opened up about their strong bond but admitted they “have their moments” as he detailed their 6am phone calls, being “honest” and accepting of each other’s weaknesses
John further recalled feeling a “disruption in the Force” the next time he saw his co-star, noting that he knew “something was wrong.”
But after pestering his pal about his problem, Gregg admitted he was upset that John wasn’t “very nice to me” on their last phone call.
The couple was quick to move on from their minor falling out, however, with John attributing the truce to the couple’s ability to be totally “honest” with each other and knowing when to accept mistakes with one another.
He explained: “We talked about it. We’re honest with each other. In the end you have to learn to accept each other’s weaknesses. Gregg is incredibly organized. You have to allow the relationship to grow.’
Uh oh: “While things are good between the two, John couldn’t help but point out that Gregg’s early morning phone calls have become a bone of contention between the two.”
30 years of friendship: “We know each other so well. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have our moments. With Gregg, my problem is the 6am phone calls.
As their successful friendship stems from being very open with each other, John went on to say they adopt the same mentality when it comes to their hugely popular BBC show, with the star noting that there is “absolute honesty” between them depends on how you approach the program.
He added that everything viewers see is “not gimmicky” or “camp,” adding that everything is “real” and there’s no “backroom discussion” about who they think should win the show.
Meanwhile, John also enjoys another successful friendship in the form of his relationship with Lisa Faulkner.
Buddy: The couple were quick to move on from their minor squabble, however, with John attributing the truce to the couple’s ability to be completely “honest” with each other and knowing when to accept faults with one another
The celebrity chefs wed in 2019 – for both of them the second time after their first marriages ended.
And in a new interview with the Sunday Times, the culinary duo got candid about their first meeting, cooking and family, with John admitting there was a “black spot” when the pair met.
The Australian explained how they met in his version of events when Lisa was a contestant on Celebrity MasterChef in 2010.
But footage unearthed from This Morning in 1996 showed John being introduced as the new chef while his now-wife was being interviewed on the sofa.
London-born Lisa was not lost on their first meeting on the ITV daytime show, as she recalled praising one of his dishes and his brusque response.
‘Amazing Husband and Best Friend’: The holiday arrives as John and Lisa discuss their romance and navigating their blended family
She was pleased that she found him arrogant, but that soon changed as their soon-to-be-found friendship evolved into something more after MasterChef.
On how he was encouraged to ask the Brookside actress out, John revealed: “I had broken up with my wife [Jessica] This was awful and I was reluctant to meet Lisa face to face as I didn’t want her to say no so I wrote her a letter.
“If I didn’t get an answer, it wouldn’t have mattered. Cowardly? S***, yes. I’m as cowardly as can be.”
John explained that she agreed to go on a date and it all fell into place from there, gushed that “we just really, really like each other.”
Happy: The culinary duo spoke openly about their first meeting, cooking and family, with John admitting there was a “black spot” when the pair met