TW: mentions of sexual misconduct
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A familiar face to millions as the co-host of BBC’s MasterChef, Gregg Wallace has decided to step away from the popular cooking competition. This comes as several allegations of misconduct by Wallace have surfaced. The claims, spanning over 17 years, include inappropriate sexual comments and unprofessional behaviour. This has prompted external investigations by the BBC and MasterChef's production company Banijay UK.
Wallace, who has been a staple of the show since its revival in 2005, had built a reputation as a cheerful and supportive figure on-screen. However, recent reports suggest a darker side to his interactions off-camera. Meanwhile, the 60-year-old has vehemently denied the accusations.
What are the allegations of misconduct against Gregg Wallace?
The allegations against Wallace include inappropriate sexual comments and behaviours that reportedly spanned over 17 years. According to reports, some of these incidents date back to 2018, when Wallace appeared on the BBC show Impossible Celebrities.
BBC News has revealed that as many as 13 people who worked with Wallace on various shows accused him of creating uncomfortable and inappropriate environments.
Broadcaster Kirsty Wark, a former Celebrity MasterChef contestant, claims Wallace told ‘sexualised’ jokes during filming. According to her, he told stories and jokes of ‘sexualised nature’ on two occasions during early morning filming and described those comments as ‘really, really in the wrong place.’
Sharing how her time on the show was mostly ‘joyous,’ she said:
The fly in the ointment, on occasion, was Gregg Wallace.
I think people were uncomfortable. We were essentially a captive audience. People looked embarrassed and just got on with their work.
One allegation against the presenter is that Wallace talked openly about his sex life. One woman claimed that he would talk about how often he had sex and how he was a good lover on the set. Another female worker of the MasterChef 2019 series also made similar claims.
Another one of Wallace’s former female workers has claimed that he took his top off in front of her and said he wanted to ‘give her a fashion show,’ reports The Sun. On another occasion, he told a junior female colleague he wasn't wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans.
BBC News has also heard claims of a former MasterChef worker who says he showed her topless pictures of himself and asked for massages. Not only this, a worker from his Channel 5's Gregg Wallace's Big Weekends show shared how Wallace was fascinated that she’s a lesbian and asked for ‘logistics’ of how dating women worked.
What’s more? A female worker of the BBC Good Food Show 2010 series claimed he stared at her chest and a male worker of the MasterChef 2005-06 series alleged he regularly made sexually explicit remarks on the set.
Singer Rod Stewart—who previously spoke about his death—also took to Instagram and called Wallace an ‘ill-mannered bully’ who humiliated his wife when she was on MasterChef.
BBC issued a warning to Gregg Wallace in 2018
This isn’t the first time Gregg Wallace’s behaviour has raised concerns. In 2018, Wallace was formally warned by the BBCafter complaints surfaced about his conduct on Impossible Celebrities. According to reports, Wallace’s jokes and conversations about his sex life made female staff uncomfortable. He is understood to have made a formal apology before he was given the green light to resume work.
The BBC conducted an HR investigation that concluded that many aspects of his behaviour were ‘unacceptable and unprofessional.’ A BBC executive also held a 90-minute meeting with Wallace to ensure he understood ‘how seriously theBBC takes this matter.’ Reportedly, measures were taken to safeguard others but many new claims have emerged since then.
What is the BBC doing now with the new set of allegations?
2024 has been a challenging year for BBC as many complaints of past misconduct by BBC employees have come forward. Starting with Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice's feud to Jermaine Jenas’ sext scandal, Wallace’s new allegations are no less than a nightmare for the network.
In light of these new allegations, the BBC is working in conjunction with Banijay UK which has launched an external review. A probe was launched in summer 2024 to investigate Wallace’s behaviour on five shows from 2005 to 2022.
Announcing the investigation on November 28, 2024, a statement by Banijay UK read:
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…we feel that it is appropriate to conduct an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate
While this review is underway, Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef and is committed to fully cooperating throughout the process.
The production company encouraged others, if any, to come forward and raise any issues or concerns.
Gregg Wallace’s response to the allegations
Wallace has denied the allegations, stating through his lawyers that the claims are ‘entirely false.’ In October 2024, he also issued a statement denying the allegations made against him in 2018.
According to Sky News, after The Sun ran a front-page story on his 2018 scandal, he took to Instagram to raise his voice. In an Instagram story he confirmed that the 2018 scandal was investigated ‘promptly’ by the BBC and the outcome stated he ‘hadn't said anything sexual.’ He said:
I'll need to repeat this again. I didn't say anything sexual.
Answering to claims that he flirted with others, he said:
Despite what the newspapers are suggesting, nobody six years ago accused me of flirting with anybody or hitting on anybody.
And the reason I say this is because of my wife Anna. I have always been true to my wife Anna and have never flirted or hit on anybody in the 12 years that I met her and fell in love with her.
Insisting he’s ‘true’ to his wife, Wallace claimed that the allegations were not true.
A look at Gregg Wallace’s career
Wallace joined MasterChef in 2005 alongside chef John Torode. Together, they turned the show into one of the BBC’s most successful franchises. They also spawned spin-offs like Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals.
Before his television career, Wallace worked as a greengrocer and established George Allan’s Greengrocers, a business that reportedly achieved a turnover of £7.5 million. Wallace’s tenure on MasterChef has also been lucrative. In 2016, he reportedly earned £250,000 for his work on the show and its spin-offs. His estimated net worth stands at £3.6 million, reports The Express. This comes from all TV appearances, books, and previous business ventures.
Read more:
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Sources used:
BBC: MasterChef's Gregg Wallace steps aside after allegations
The Sun: Who is MasterChef judge and presenter Gregg Wallace and when did he quit BBC’s cooking competition?
Sky News: MasterChef star Gregg Wallace denies 'sexual' comments after BBC probe
The Express: Gregg Wallace v John Torode net worth: Who has the most money? Fortunes unveiled
