There's something distinctly 'off' about the peremptory sacking of John Torode

I'm certainly not alone in feeling there's something distinctly "off" about the peremptory sacking of John Torode from the BBC's MasterChef. On the face of it, it looks like pretty rough justice. An undated allegation from an unnamed source making the accusation that Torode told a racist joke during an off-air work party, and immediately apologised, on the spot. Reportedly no complaint was made by anyone at the time.

Torode says he has zero memory of any such incident, and doesn't believe it happened. Yet he has been very publicly dismissed and his career at the BBC is over. His reputation has been seriously damaged. But we have only the briefest of details regarding his alleged transgression.

When exactly was it supposed to have happened? The BBC doesn't even seem to be completely certain about the year, let alone the month, week, or day - let alone the time of day. Where are the witness statements? And up until very recently we didn't even know what the genial host is accused of saying?

Now, finally, unconfirmed reports have emerged alleging that he used the n-word. Full disclosure: John Torode is a former colleague. He joined Judy and me on This Morning in 1996 and was our chef-in-residence for the next few years. And I can say, hand on heart, that in all that time I never once heard him say anything inappropriate. I don't think I even heard him swear.

Certainly there were no racist remarks, jokes, or otherwise unacceptable remarks. Obviously that doesn't mean he's innocent of the accusation that's got him fired now, but I speak as I find and I must say I was extremely surprised when I heard the outline accusation against him, in the exact opposite way that many who know Gregg Wallace nodded in recognition when they heard the charges against him. "Yeah. That sounds like our Gregg." Well all I can say is, this doesn't sound like John.

And I think that like anyone accused of anything - especially a shaming, career-terminating incident like this - he (and we, now this is in the public domain) should be allowed to know the accuser, the time, the place and the verbatim details of the alleged transgression.

The Gregg Wallace/MasterChef scandal has turned into a whirlpool and it seems to have sucked Torode under (oddly late in the day). Maybe he deserves it. But if this is justice, then, to quote Private Eye editor Ian Hislop: "I'm a banana."

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It's a good job the Spice Girls aren't new kids on the block today - Geri Halliwell would probably have been hauled off stage for wearing that Union Jack mini-dress. I'm not joking. A 12-year-old girl was last week put in isolation at her school for wearing a Union Jack dress to a day celebrating different cultures. Courtney Wright wore a Geri-style dress (though much longer) and had carefully prepared a speech about British history and traditions including Shakespeare, tea, fish and chips and the royals.

But incredibly, she was dragged out of class and isolated until her bewildered father collected her. Why? Because wearing a Union Jack dress (with matching hat) was deemed "unacceptable".

Her father, Stuart Field, 47, said later: "Courtney couldn't understand what she'd done wrong. She shouldn't have been punished for wanting to celebrate British culture and history."

Belatedly, Bilton School, in Rugby, issued a groveling statement, saying: "We deeply regret the distress caused and offer our sincere and unreserved apologies." But it happened. And it tells you everything you need to know about today's absurd, woke shame over expressing innocent patriotism.

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Thick as mince Cumbrians Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers should be damn grateful they only received jail terms of four years and three months apiece for felling the beautiful Sycamore Gap tree with a chainsaw. Under sentencing rules they could have been banged up for 10. Some bleeding hearts have argued that it was "only a tree", and that the pair should have only received community service orders.

Not exactly a deterrent to others inspired to commit similar acts of mindless vandalism purely to gain "likes" and "clicks" on social media, which seems to have been Graham's and Carruthers's sole, moronic motive. And some punishment for causing so much deep, genuine distress up across the land.

I reckon they got off lightly.