MasterChef has returned to TV screens with the launch of a new series that was filmed before hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode were sacked.

The pair were both fired last month after a report into conduct on the cooking show upheld allegations against them.

The BBC decided to still show this year's amateur series, saying it was "the right thing to do" for the chefs who took part. But it faced a backlash from some groups, including broadcast union Bectu, which said bad behaviour "should not be rewarded with prime-time coverage".

Both presenters appear from the outset and throughout new series, which launched on BBC iPlayer on Wednesday morning, but there are fewer jokes than usual and less chat between them and the chefs.

One of the contestants has also been edited out after asking for the new series not to be broadcast following claims against the two hosts.

The first three episodes have been released on iPlayer, with the series opener to be broadcast on BBC One at 20:00 BST.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said as a viewer, she "certainly won't be watching it" but that it wasn't her place to tell broadcasters what they could or couldn't show.

In previous years, Wallace and Torode have been a near-constant presence throughout the episodes.

And in the first episode of the new series, they welcome the new contestants, introduce the challenges, interview the chefs while they cook, announce when "time's up", and taste the dishes.

But there are fewer jokes, with the usual banter between the presenters and the chefs appearing to have been reduced.

"There's not really any jokes and chat is kept to a minimum," TV critic Scott Bryan said of the new episodes.

"John and Gregg are there to explain things to camera, link parts of the programme and review the food, but they're not there so much for our entertainment."

The promotional image on iPlayer shows the trophy rather than the presenters, unlike in recent years.

Producers were believed to have been looking at re-editing the show after the hosts' dismissals. It was thought there would have been limits on how much Wallace and Torode could be cut out, but that the focus would be placed on the contestants.

Six chefs feature in the first episode, with the next episodes set to introduce a new set of contestants.

This year's series is starting much later than usual, in August, compared with the last few years, which began in April. The series runs for three days a week until the finals.

Last week, one of the contestants on the new series of MasterChef said she was edited out after asking for it not to be broadcast.

Sarah Shafi told BBC Newsnight that "in an ideal world, what would have happened is that it would have been axed" out of respect to those people whose complaints had been upheld.

Her comments came as the BBC faced mounting pressure to reconsider airing the series.

Bectu said freelancers whose complaints were upheld would "undoubtedly be triggered" by the decision to air the series, while a leading women's rights charity warned many people would feel "deeply uncomfortable" to see the show on their TV screens.

Some of the women who made allegations against Wallace have also told BBC News that they didn’t think it should be aired, with one saying it showed "a blatant disregard for the people who have come forward".

The BBC previously said it had not been "an easy decision" to run the series, adding that there was "widespread support" among the chefs for it going ahead.

“In showing the series, which was filmed last year, it in no way diminishes our view of the seriousness of the upheld findings against both presenters,” it said.

"However, we believe that broadcasting this series is the right thing to do for these cooks who have given so much to the process. We want them to be properly recognised and give the audience the choice to watch the series."

In her interview on Wednesday, the culture secretary weighed in on the scandals involving the presenters, saying: "Like every member of the public, I'm absolutely appalled that that was allowed to happen in plain sight for far too long."

But she also applauded the BBC for signing up to a new watchdog designed to improve standards in the creative industries.

"I think the BBC has shown leadership on this and I would urge other people to follow suit," she said.

The controversy over MasterChef started last year, when BBC News first revealed claims of misconduct against Wallace.

In July, a report by the show's production company Banijay revealed that more than 40 complaints against Wallace had been upheld, including one of unwelcome physical contact and another three of being in a state of undress.

He has insisted he was cleared of "the most serious and sensational allegations".

In a recent interview with The Sun, he said he was "so sorry" to anyone he hurt, but insisted that he was "not a groper, a sex pest or a flasher".

The upheld complaint against Torode related to a severely offensive racist term allegedly used on the set of MasterChef in 2018.

The presenter said he had "no recollection" of it and that any racist language is "wholly unacceptable".

Additional reporting by Emmanuella Alausa.