Gregg Wallace has reportedly told friends he is “f***ed” as he braces for dismissal from MasterChef amid an ongoing investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and groping.
The 60-year-old television personality has reportedly “quietly conceded” that he has “lost everything” and expects to be sacked from the BBC cooking show once the probe into his conduct concludes, according to sources.
Wallace has stepped away from his presenting role while production company Banijay UK conducts an external review into historical allegations of misconduct, which he strongly denies through his lawyers.
A source told The Sun: “Gregg’s conceded he has lost everything. To put it bluntly, he’s told people, ‘I’m f***ed’.”
“He came out swinging but he has quietly conceded that he knows his time on MasterChef is over and that he will be stepping aside,” the source added.
The insider claimed Wallace has “contested the sexual allegations and insisted any jokes he made were just jokes” whilst maintaining he “never meant to cause any offence.”
Gregg Wallace has stepped away from BBC MasterChef amid the allegations
BBC
The source noted Wallace has been under “a huge amount of pressure” since the allegations emerged and has tried his best to “fight his corner.”
The Telegraph’s investigations team revealed a former colleague claimed Wallace held her head and thrust his body towards her while mimicking a sex act when she was kneeling to clean his trousers.
Another complainant alleged the presenter entered the MasterChef studio “completely naked except for a sock pulled over his penis” before performing a “silly dance.”
Emma Kennedy, who won Celebrity MasterChef in 2012, claimed she witnessed Wallace “grope” a camera assistant during a photoshoot that year.
More recently, Penny Lancaster claimed she was “witness and victim to some of the bullying and harassment behaviour” during her 2021 appearance on Celebrity MasterChef.
A BBC spokesperson said they have taken action when issues were raised, including “referring issues to the relevant production company and challenging his behaviour directly.”
The broadcaster stated they will provide assistance to Banijay UK’s investigation and hope it can be “concluded rigorously and as swiftly as possible.”
BBC director-general Tim Davie and chief content officer Charlotte Moore told staff the corporation will not “tolerate behaviour that falls below the standards we expect.”
Banijay UK said MasterChef has “clear protocols to support both crew and contributors” including anonymous reporting methods and HR contact details being promoted on set.
According to sources, Wallace has become increasingly isolated, with The Sun reporting he has unfollowed his long-time co-host John Torode and Torode’s wife Lisa Faulkner on Instagram.
Sources indicated Wallace was upset that Torode did not publicly support him during the scandal.
The Sun also reported that Torode had previously raised concerns about Wallace’s behaviour on MasterChef, though no action was taken at the time.
Torode, who has hosted alongside Wallace since 2005, publicly distanced himself from his co-presenter in 2017, stating in an interview they were no longer friends.
The Australian presenter is expected to keep his role on the show, with reports suggesting a female presenter will replace Wallace.
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Gregg Wallace previously called his accusers ‘middle-class women of a certain age’ in a furious rant on Instagram, before later apologising
Earlier this month, Wallace claimed the allegations against him came from a “handful of middle-class women of a certain age.”
He later apologised for these remarks, stating: “I want to apologise for any offence that I caused with my post yesterday and any upset I may have caused to a lot of people.”
The presenter added: “I wasn’t in a good space when I posted it. I’ve been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion.”
Wallace’s lawyers have strongly denied that “he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature” as he continues to step back from his presenting duties while the investigation proceeds.
