Gregg Wallace ‘stepping away’ from MasterChef amid misconduct allegations
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Gregg Wallace will be stepping down from his role as host of MasterChef as officials look into past allegations of misconduct made against him.
Wallace, who is 60 years old, has been co-hosting the BBC cooking show with John Torode since 2005. He has also presented other shows like Inside the Factory, Big Weekends Away, and Supermarket Secrets.
One of the people speaking out is Kirsty Wark, the former host of Newsnight, who claimed that he made jokes with sexual undertones while she was participating in Celebrity MasterChef in 2011.
Wark shared that her time on the show was mostly wonderful, but she admitted, “Every now and then, Gregg Wallace was a bit of a downside.”
She mentioned, "I believe people felt uneasy. We were basically stuck there with no choice. Some looked embarrassed and just continued with their tasks. Honestly, I was more upset than anything, as I found it highly inappropriate. To me, it seemed like it was more about exercising power than anything else, as if he believed he could do whatever he wanted."
On Thursday night, Wallace shared a video on his Instagram, expressing gratitude to everyone who has reached out and offered their support. He said, “I really appreciate all the messages and encouragement. It means a lot to me, thank you!”
Banijay UK, the firm producing Masterchef, has initiated an inquiry and stated that Wallace is working with them on it. In a press release, the company noted, “Even though these allegations are from the past, any incidents reported to us where standards are not upheld will be investigated thoroughly and dealt with accordingly.”
A representative from the BBC stated, "We treat all concerns brought to our attention with utmost seriousness and have strong procedures to address them. We want to emphasize that any conduct that does not meet the BBC's expected standards will not be accepted."
"When a person is directly hired by an outside production company, we communicate any complaints or issues to that company and consistently offer our assistance in resolving them."
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The scheduled episodes of MasterChef: The Professionals featuring Wallace will air as intended.
Banijay UK stated, "Even though these claims are from the past, we take any reports of unmet expectations seriously and ensure that they are properly investigated and dealt with."
On Tuesday, BBC News reached out to Wallace’s team with a letter outlining claims made by 13 colleagues about inappropriate sexual remarks he allegedly made while working on various programs over the span of 17 years.
According to reports, Wallace's attorneys have asserted that the claim suggesting he participates in sexually harassing behavior is completely untrue.
In October, Wallace responded to allegations claiming that he had made inappropriate sexual remarks to a female coworker at the BBC in 2018.
According to The Sun, Wallace faced allegations of boasting about his intimate relationship with his spouse, Anna Wallace, and of removing his shirt in front of a staff member.
The TV figure strongly rejected the claims in an Instagram video, stating that the BBC looked into the allegations six years prior.
He stated, "My remarks have been determined to have no sexual connotations. I want to emphasize, there were no sexual implications. Thank you."
Wallace, who claims to be “deeply in love” with his wife Anna, 37, stated that it was essential for him to make it obvious that he is not “dating” anyone other than his spouse.
“Another point I’m really passionate about—strong enough to share on [Instagram]—is that not a single person, whether six years ago or since, has ever claimed that I was flirting with anyone or trying to make a move on anyone,” he mentioned.
“This is really significant for me, and I want to express this on behalf of my wife Anna. I have remained faithful to her and have been head over heels in love with her since the moment we first connected. It’s crucial to clarify that I don’t want anyone to misinterpret my intentions or suggest that I was being flirtatious with anyone. No one has claimed that I was, and I never have acted that way.”
Last year, the host had to leave Inside the Factory due to claims of “inappropriate” remarks directed at female employees.
Wallace stepped down from being the host of the BBC2 series in March 2023 after leading the show for seven seasons. He mentioned that he wanted to dedicate more time to his three-year-old son.
The Times, on the other hand, revealed that an event at a Nestlé plant in York earlier this year also played a role in his choice to resign.
During the visit in question, Wallace reportedly made comments to the staff that were deemed inappropriate. Sources indicate that these remarks were about the weight of female employees and were not of a sexual nature.
In light of the accusations, a spokesperson for Wallace told The Independent back then: “We direct you to the original statement that clearly outlines his reasons for halting the filming of the series.”
