Gregg Wallace live: Allegations ‘tip of the iceberg’, ex-MasterChef star claims after ‘middle class women’ jibe
Host faces allegations of making inappropriate sexual comments from 13 people over a 17-year period
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Your support makes all the difference.Allegations against Gregg Wallace are merely the “tip of the iceberg” in what was a “really quite toxic environment” at MasterChef, a former contestant has claimed.
The presenter left the BBC programme on Thursday (28 November) after claims were made by 13 people that he made a number of inappropriate sexual comments.
In a video posted on his Instagram page, the 60-year-old said: “I can see the complaints coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age, just from Celebrity MasterChef. This isn’t right.”
Following a widespread backlash to those remarks, a former MasterChef contestant alleged that he had been so horrified by the widespread “abuse” of contestants on the show that he considered quitting on his first day – but was too scared to speak out after signing a non-disclosure agreement.
“There was a systemic problem that was larger than just him, in my view. Gregg ... would occasionally crack jokes that in different ways felt inappropriate but he wasn’t the only one,” the anonymous former contestant told Sky News.
A BBC spokesperson said “any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated”.
Watch: Ex-BBC chief says stars ‘got away with all sorts’ amid Gregg Wallace probe
Further accusations made against MasterChef star Gregg Wallace
Further accusations have been made against TV presenter Gregg Wallace in the wake of him stepping away from hosting hit BBC show MasterChef while a review into complaints is carried out.
On Thursday, the cooking programme’s production company Banijay UK said the BBC received complaints from individuals in relation to “historical allegations of misconduct” while working with Wallace.
He is “committed to fully co-operating throughout the process”, the company also said.
There were reports on Friday evening in news outlets such as The Sun newspaper about other alleged behaviour by Wallace.
Banijay UK confirmed on Saturday it had appointed law firm Lewis Silkin to lead an investigation into Wallace’s alleged behaviour.
Further accusations made against MasterChef star Gregg Wallace
The TV presenter’s lawyers said it is ‘entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature’.
‘We are all different’: Wallace shares cryptic Instagram post
Gregg Wallace has shared another cryptic Instagram post in the wake of allegations against himself.
The former Masterchef host took to social media to share a picture of what appeared to be grey stone with simple message: “We are all different.”
Earlier, he shared an Instagram story of a gingerbread man, with the caption: “Enjoy your weekend.”
What allegations are Wallace facing?
Wallace has stepped down from MasterChef amid allegations of inappropriate sexual comments from 13 people who worked with him across a range of shows over a 17-year period.
Among those alleging misconduct is former Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, who claimed Mr Wallace told “sexualised” jokes during filming of a Celebrity MasterChef episode in 2011.
“There were two occasions in particular where he used sexualised language in front of a number of people and it wasn’t as if anyone engaged with this,” she said.
Wallace allegedly also talked openly about his sex life and once told a junior female colleague he wasn’t wearing any underwear under his jeans, according to the BBC News investigation.
The Independent has contacted Wallace’s representatives for comment. A BBC spokesperson said “any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated”.
Watch: Gregg Wallace makes ‘crass’ innuendo to Katy Brand on Celebrity MasterChef
From troubled childhood to troubling reputation, this TV stalwart is facing self-destruction
Gregg Wallace was always an unlikely TV star. Prematurely bald, stout, and the proud wearer of thick glasses, he seemed destined for an unglamorous life amid the vegetable stalls of the capital, rather than on TV screens across the country.
And yet, the presenter, who today has stepped back from his role as a judge on MasterChef after a series of historic sexual misconduct allegations came to light, has made himself part of the furniture at the BBC.
And that makes his rapid fall from grace even more troubling for the corporation, though Wallace’s lawyers say it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.
Read the full analysis from Nick Hilton here:
Gregg Wallace: From troubled childhood to troubling reputation
The greengrocer-turned-presenter is stepping back from ‘MasterChef’ while allegations of historical misconduct are investigated. Nick Hilton looks back on his career as an unlikely TV star, which followed a tough start in life
Who is celebrity chef Gregg Wallace?
Mr Wallace, 60, is best known for co-presenting MasterChef alongside John Torode since 2005, as well as its spin-offs Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals.
He was the original presenter of the BBC show Saturday Kitchen in 2002 and has also featured on Eat Well For Less, Inside The Factory, Turn Back Time, Harvest, and Supermarket Secrets.
He was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2022 for his services to food and charity. Mr Wallace took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2014 and was partnered with Aliona Vilani.
He has two children, Tom and Libby, from a former relationship. He married Anne-Marie Sterpini in 2016 and the couple have a son called Sid.
Gregg Wallace dropped by autism charity
Presenter Gregg Wallace has been dropped from an autism charity in the wake of allegations that he made inappropriate comments to colleagues.
He was announced as an ambassador to Ambitious about Autism after his son Sid, four, was diagnosed with the condition.
An Ambitious about Autism spokesperson said: “In light of recent allegations, we are no longer working with Gregg Wallace.
“We have let him know our decision and thanked him for his support of our work over the last two years.”
Gregg Wallace and Kirsty Wark clash in MasterChef kitchen in resurfaced clip
Gregg Wallace and former BBC Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark clash in the MasterChef kitchen in a resurfaced clip.
The scenes, from Celebrity MasterChef in 2011, have resurfaced after Ms Wark claimed Mr Wallace told “sexualised” jokes during filming for the show.
Gregg Wallace and Kirsty Wark clash in MasterChef kitchen in resurfaced clip
Gregg Wallace and former BBC Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark clash in the MasterChef kitchen in a resurfaced clip. The scenes, from Celebrity MasterChef in 2011, have resurfaced after Ms Wark claimed Mr Wallace told “sexualised” jokes during filming for the show. Mr Wallace stepped down from the BBC show on Thursday (28 November) amid allegations of inappropriate sexual comments from 13 people who worked with him across a range of shows over a 17-year period. The Independent has contacted Mr Wallace’s representatives for comment. A BBC spokesperson said “any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated”.
Letter sent to BBC about Gregg Wallace’s behaviour in 2022, reports claim
A letter outlining allegations of inappropriate behaviour by Gregg Wallace was sent to the BBC two years ago, reports have claimed.
The letter, which was seen by the Observer, contained claims from several women including complaints of sexualised comments, but did not prompt any further investigation at the time.
The Guardian reported that it was sent by director and producer Dawn Elrick in 2022, on behalf of other women who contacted her. She said she was told each complainant would have to contact the broadcasters individually.
“This is very tricky for freelancers to do without identifying themselves, which makes life extremely tricky in the freelance world,” she told the paper. “Placing the onus on individual employees/freelancers means they failed to see that I was trying to tell them there was a pattern of alleged behaviour.”
A BBC spokesperson told the Observer: “If issues are raised with us we have robust processes in place to deal with them swiftly and appropriately. We will always listen if people want to make us aware of something directly.
“It would be inappropriate for us to comment on anything that could form part of Banijay’s ongoing investigation or otherwise influence it.”