MasterChef's Gregg Wallace Steps Down Amid Allegations

MasterChef's Gregg Wallace Steps Down Amid Allegations.

Gregg Wallace is stepping back from his role as host of MasterChef while an investigation into past misconduct claims is underway, according to the show's production team.

This follows a letter from BBC News sent to Wallace’s team on Tuesday, detailing allegations of inappropriate sexual remarks made by 13 individuals who worked with him over the last 17 years.

Kirsty Wark, who competed on Celebrity MasterChef in 2011, mentioned that he made "sexualized" jokes during the filming.

Wallace's legal team has firmly denied these claims, stating that he does not engage in any sexually harassing behaviour. The production company, Banijay UK, has initiated an investigation and confirmed that Wallace is fully cooperating.

In a video shared on Instagram Thursday night, Wallace addressed the situation I would like to thank all the people getting in touch, reaching out and showing their support.

"It's good of you - thank you very much."

Wark, known for her role on BBC Newsnight, shared with BBC News that during early morning shoots, Wallace made comments and jokes of a "sexualized nature" in front of both contestants and crew on two separate occasions.

She expressed that those remarks were definitely "not appropriate for the setting."

While she described her overall time on the show as "joyous" and praised the team and crew as "fantastic," she noted that "the fly in the ointment" was sometimes Gregg Wallace.

Wark mentioned that it seemed like people were uncomfortable, feeling like a "captive audience," with many looking embarrassed but just trying to get through their work.

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She admitted to feeling more angry than anything else, believing his behavior was inappropriate and stemmed from a sense of power.

Wark brought her concerns to an executive at the production company Shine, who responded as if it were some sort of "affliction," suggesting that if Wallace's behavior became too extreme, he would be reined in. BBC News has reached out to Shine for their comments.

Other allegations include Wallace discussing his sex life openly, removing his shirt in front of a female colleague to give her a "fashion show," and telling a junior female staff member that he wasn't wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans.

A former MasterChef employee stated that a colleague showed her nude photos and asked for massages. Another ex-worker from Channel 5's Gregg Wallace's Big Weekends mentioned that he was intrigued by her relationships with women and wanted to know how that all worked.

In 2019, a female MasterChef staff member claimed that Wallace discussed his sex life, while another woman who worked at the BBC Good Food Show in 2010 reported that he was caught staring at her chest. Additionally, a male MasterChef employee from 2005-06 said that Wallace frequently made sexually explicit comments on set.

Wallace has declined to comment.

'Unacceptable and unprofessional'

On Thursday, Sir Rod Stewart took to Instagram to call out Wallace, labeling him an "ill-mannered bully" and claiming he "humiliated" his wife during her time on Masterchef in 2021.

Reports indicate that Wallace received a warning from the BBC back in 2018 after a complaint was filed regarding his behavior on the show Impossible Celebrities.

Two women who raised concerns mentioned that Wallace openly discussed his sex life with the show's staff, which made them feel uneasy. One described his sexual jokes as "disgusting," noting that he would brag about his sexual activity and skills as a lover.

After the complaints, Wallace issued an apology, and the women were offered counseling. An official HR investigation followed, and the BBC's findings, which we've seen, stated that "many aspects of [Wallace's] behavior were both unacceptable and unprofessional."

In a follow-up letter, a BBC executive mentioned having a 90-minute discussion with Wallace to emphasize the seriousness of the situation. She also assured staff that measures would be implemented to prevent similar issues in the future and to protect others.

However, more incidents have come to light since then.

BBC News, which operates independently from the main organization, began looking into Wallace this past summer after hearing about new allegations. The claims span across five different shows from 2005 to 2022.

On a different note, some former colleagues have shared more positive experiences with Wallace. One ex-employee from Inside the Factory mentioned that he often made "dad jokes," but nothing more inappropriate occurred. Another former MasterChef staff member said she didn't witness any troubling behavior during her time there, while another acknowledged that although she didn't sense any ill intent in his comments, she understood why some might have felt uncomfortable.

Immediate external review

Banijay UK said in a statement: "This week the BBC received complaints from individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct while working with presenter Gregg Wallace on one of our shows."

Wallace, 60, is "committed to fully co-operating throughout the process", it added.

"Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company Banijay UK, we feel that it is appropriate to conduct an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate," Banijay's statement continued.

"While this review is under way, Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef and is committed to fully co-operating throughout the process.

"Banijay UK's duty of care to staff is always a priority and our expectations regarding behaviour are made clear to both cast and crew on all productions, with multiple ways of raising concerns, including anonymously, clearly promoted on set.

"Whilst these are historical allegations, incidences brought to our attention where these expectations are not met, are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately."

Banijay's statement concluded by encouraging anyone who wanted to raise any issues or concerns to come forward.

A BBC spokesman said: "We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.

"We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.

"Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them."

A spokesman for Channel 5, which airs Big Weekends, said: “We take any allegations of this nature extremely seriously.

"We have asked the production company to look into these historical claims. The health and wellbeing of everyone involved in our productions is very important to us and we want all of our productions to be safe and secure places for people to work.”

Production company Rumpus, which produced Big Weekends, said: “We do not tolerate inappropriate behaviour on our productions.

"Our comprehensive duty of care processes were in place during production of these series and any matters raised would have been investigated in accordance with these.”

Episodes of MasterChef: The Professionals featuring Wallace that have already been filmed will air as scheduled, with the next one set to go live on Thursday night.

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Wallace has been co-hosting the beloved BBC One cooking show with John Torode since 2005, along with its spin-offs like Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals.

He was the first host of the BBC show Saturday Kitchen back in 2002 and has also appeared on shows like Eat Well For Less, Inside The Factory, Turn Back Time, Harvest, and Supermarket Secrets.

In 2014, he participated in Strictly Come Dancing and was honored in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2022 for his contributions to food and charity.

Gregg Wallace's career has been marred by multiple allegations of inappropriate behavior spanning over 17 years. Despite his popularity as a host on MasterChef, he faces serious accusations from multiple individuals who claim he made sexualized comments, discussed his sex life openly, and engaged in unprofessional conduct on set.

His behavior was reportedly so unsettling that colleagues felt uncomfortable and embarrassed. Even after previous complaints in 2018 led to a warning, new allegations have surfaced, suggesting a pattern of misconduct. Wallace's lack of accountability and failure to respect boundaries has overshadowed his contributions to television.