John Whaite has broken his silence following the news that Steph's Packed Lunch will soon be axed.
On Thursday, Channel 4 confirmed the daytime show, which is presented by Steph McGovern, will not be recommissioned after its contract ends in December.
Taking to Instagram to react to the news, former Strictly star John - who tends to front the cooking segment - broke his social media silence to address his fans.
"Breaking my little insta-pause to post about this. I'm sure you've read the deeply sad news that Steph's Packed Lunch will not be returning after December," he wrote. "I want to shout, as loud as possible, about how brilliant the team have been.
"The eclectic mix of folk from a hodgepodge of backgrounds and generations worked tirelessly to try to keep the integrity of a 100-year-old industry alive, and bring lunchtime entertainment and company to many a household.
"What they created was a show that was as diverse as it was welcoming, and I hope each and every one of them continue to thrive wherever the wind next takes them, because they deserve nothing but success."
Addressing the food team, whom he worked closely with for the past three years, John added: "Courtney, Sarah and the talented home economists - have been a lifeline to me on so many occasions, and it's been an honour to work with them (and the rest of the production and editorial teams) for the past 3 years."
He also paid tribute to host Steph, writing: "And finally I hope that Steph, Vivek, Matt and all the people at the top feel nothing but immense pride for creating a ground-breaking, inclusive show. It has been an honour and a privilege to be a small part of Steph's Packed Lunch.
"In many tiny ways, it changed my life. Maybe it's time to start selling photos of my bare arse on OnlyFans, again… [winking face emoji]."
© InstagramMain host Steph is yet to comment on the sad news, but many celebrities voiced their sadness over the axe. Lisa Faulkner wrote: "This is such sad news." Nadia Sawalha added: "What a shame! What doesn’t TV ever let things sit?!!!"
Explaining the decision, Channel 4 had stated: "With audience habits changing quicker than ever, we have to make difficult decisions about which programmes to invest in to best drive our digital-first strategy and we have decided not to recommission Steph's Packed Lunch when its existing production contract ends in December 2023.
"We remain as committed as ever to our mission to help level up the TV industry outside London and to our 50% origination out-of-London target. We will be reinvesting the budget previously committed to Steph's Packed Lunch into other nations and regions productions."
Back in 2020, Steph's Packed Lunch first premiered on Channel 4, with the journalist presenting some of the earlier episodes from her home in Yorkshire, due to the pandemic. At the moment, the show is filmed at Leeds Docks and will remain on screens until December.
