Matt Tebbutt has opened up about his exit from MasterChef: The Professionals when BBC bosses axed him after just one series. Last month, it was announced that the 52-year-old TV chef would not be returning for the next series of the cooking show, which sees expert cooks put their skills to the test in the TV kitchen. The Saturday Kitchen chef replaced Gregg Wallace as the host of the 18th series, supported by judges Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti.

But despite fans praising the BBC star for his involvement in the show, execs decided he wasn't the right fit and gave him the boot. Now, the dad-of-two has opened up about what it was like leaving the show, admitting that it "could have been handled a lot better".

During an appearance on BBC Radio 4's The Food Programme, Matt told host Jaega Wise that the attention surrounding his departure from the show was difficult to handle. He told listeners: "It was, yes, of course it is [difficult].

"I mean, I'm not going to say I wasn't upset. I was really upset, and it could have been handled a lot better. But it is what it is. You know, there are worse things going on; you've got to be resilient. It's part of the game, really."

"I guess it's like if you're a politician, you're going to get knocks. So it's just par for the course, I think." The broadcaster went on to add that he "really enjoyed" his time on the cooking show, but ultimately walked into the studio knowing it would be a "tough gig" following Wallace's explosive scandal.

Wallace, 61, was axed by the BBC last July following an investigation into 83 historical allegations of misconduct in the workplace. It resulted in 45 accusations against him being upheld, with his co-host John Torrode also facing one complaint, which led to his departure one week later.

Reflecting on the challenges of the job, Matt went on: "Walking into such an established show, whatever had happened before, you don't want to be that guy that turns up and steamrolls everything.

"To then go in and get to know the personalities of Monica and Marcus, and get to know the crew and still do your job and deliver, it was a lot." He added that the highlight of the experience was his connection with the ambitious contestants whilst filming the show.

He gushed: "I got really invested in the chefs. You see how hard these chefs work, and then they have families, and then they go home and have these proper jobs, and they still have to practice. They've got a lot resting on this."

Express.co.uk has contacted the BBC for a comment. In March, rumours of Matt's departure from the show began to circulate, prompting him to take to social media to address his exit online.

Taking to Instagram, he wrote: "A lot of lovely people have contacted me about not doing the next series of MasterChef: The Professionals. I was only ever doing one series, and I loved judging on it and will continue working with MasterChef."

At the time, insiders speculated that the format of using three judges on the show proved to be a mistake, with one source telling The Sun: "Three was a bit of a crowd. He didn't do anything wrong and will definitely come back to the series as a guest in the future.

"But bosses simply realised that they could get away with just having Marcus and Monica at the helm, especially as their chemistry is great and they have a tight relationship."