The BBC’s MasterChef has seen a substantial dip in viewership, with over one million fewer people viewing the new season premiere.

Wednesday’s debut broadcast drew 1.96 million viewers, a significant fall from the 2.7 million who watched the previous year’s opening show.

The long-running cooking competition, plagued by controversy since its presenters’ firing, has suffered a significant blow from the substantial ratings drop.

The watching stats are said to have been derived from overnight data and suggest that the program has lost almost one-third of its debut night viewership as compared to the previous series.

This is a particularly difficult time for the BBC program, which has been under considerable scrutiny in recent weeks.

The show was shot last year, before the discoveries that led to John Torode and Gregg Wallace being fired this month.

Both 60-year-old presenters were fired after an inquiry confirmed misbehavior allegations against them.

The investigation substantiated many allegations about Wallace’s use of sexually improper language.

Torode was fired after facing separate charges that he used a racist slur.

Despite appeals from numerous quarters to stop the transmission, the BBC continued to run the prerecorded programs.

The organization has received widespread criticism over this move, with many claiming that the series should have been cancelled given the circumstances surrounding the presenters’ exits.

The BBC has defended its decision to air the programs, asserting that the amateur cooks competing put their utmost effort into the competition.

However, one competitor disclosed that the final edit removed her participation after she advocated for the series’ cancellation.

Timing issues may have affected the viewing counts, as this year’s debut aired in August rather than April.

The firm stated that August normally draws fewer television audiences than other months.

Furthermore, scheduling the 2024 season premiere on a bank holiday, when more viewers are typically available to watch television, proved beneficial.

They also aired the current series later at 8 p.m., potentially impacting its audience reach.

Bectu, the broadcast union, issued a warning that watching the programs could potentially trigger complaints, confirmed by the probe.

Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, has officially said that she would not be watching the series this week.

Wallace stated his thoughts on the subject to The Sun, saying, “No, no, no, no, never.” I am hurt. I want nothing to do with television. I do not want anything to do with the BBC.

The first three episodes were made accessible on iPlayer on Wednesday morning, and viewers noticed a lack of the usual connection between the hosts and participants. The changed mood was especially obvious considering the presenters’ established on-screen relationship, which had been a staple of the show for many years.