Why did Michel Roux Jr leave Masterchef?

Michel Albert Roux formerly known as Michel Roux Jr., is an English-French two Michelin starred chef and owner of the London restaurant Le Gavroche.

Roux Jr. is also an accomplished author and has written the following books;

1. Le Gavroche Cookbook (2001), London: W&N (Orion),
2. The Marathon Chef: Food for Getting Fit (2003), London: W&N (Orion),
3. Le Gavroche Cookbook: Ten Recipes from One of the World’s Great Restaurants (2005),
4. Matching Food And Wine: Classic And Not So Classic Combinations (2005),
5. Michel Roux: A Life in the Kitchen (2009), London: W&N (Orion),
6. Cooking with The Master Chef: Food For Your Family & Friends (2010),
7. The French Kitchen: 200 Recipes From the Master of French Cooking (2013),
8. Le Gavroche Cookbook (2017), London: W&N (Orion),
9. Les Abats (2017), London: W&N (Orion),
10. The French Revolution: 140 Classic Recipes made Fresh & Simple (2018).

Roux Jr. has made various television appearances, including on his friend Gordon Ramsay’s ITV produced Hell’s Kitchen, and as an expert judge on the BBC Two programme MasterChef: The Professionals (2008–13).

However, in March 2014, Roux Jr. announced that he was leaving the BBC’s MasterChef programme.

Why did Michel Roux Jr leave MasterChef?

BBC said that Roux’s departure from the show was “due to a conflict in his commercial interests”; the conflict was over his brand ambassadorship for Albert Bartlett Rooster potatoes.

Roux Jr. appeared as a guest judge on Masterchef South Africa in 2012 and from 2013 until 2014, he co-presented BBC Two’s Food and Drink alongside Kate Goodman.

In April 2016, Roux Jr. stepped in as presenter on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen after the departure of James Martin who left after 10 years as he ruled himself out of becoming a full-time host.