Gregg Wallace has faced public criticism from yet another famous face after it was confirmed he’d be stepping down from his role on the BBC show amid an investigation into historical allegations of misconduct.
The BBC has received complaints from 13 individuals, including former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark, regarding allegations of inappropriate sexual comments made by Wallace over a 17-year period across five different programmes.
The 60-year-old will step away from his presenting duties while production company Banijay UK conducts an immediate external review into the claims.
Wark, who appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2011, told BBC News that Wallace had told stories and jokes of a “sexualised nature” in front of contestants and crew on two occasions.
“It wasn’t as though anyone engaged with this, it was completely one-way traffic. But I think people were uncomfortable,” she said.
Following the news, singer Sir Rod Stewart branded Wallace a “tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully” for his alleged treatment of his wife and Loose Women star Penny Lancaster during her stint on the celeb edition of the cooking competition.
BBC Celebrity MasterChef: Gregg Wallace (right) with co-host John Torode
BBC
“So Greg Wallace gets fired from MasterChef. Good riddance Wallace,” Stewart, 79, penned on Instagram, misspelling the 60-year-old’s name.
“You humiliated my wife when she was on the show, but you had that bit cut out didn’t you? You’re a tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully. Karma got ya. Sir Rod Stewart.”
Fans rushed to the comments of Stewart’s social media post to share their thoughts on the saga – including 2024 Celebrity MasterChef contestant, Charlotte Crosby.
The former Geordie Shore star echoed the sentiment expressed by Stewart towards Wallace in a comment responding to the Maggie May singer’s rant.
Among the allegations facing Wallace are him reportedly talking openly about his sex life, removing his top in front of a female worker, and telling a junior female colleague he wasn’t wearing boxer shorts under his jeans.
Banijay UK said in a statement: “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.”
The production company emphasised that duty of care to staff is “always a priority” and their behavioural expectations are made clear to cast and crew.
They added that anyone wishing to raise concerns can contact speakup@banijayuk.com in confidence.
BBC Celebrity MasterChef: Charlotte Crosby starred in the 2024 series
BBC
A BBC spokesperson said: “We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.”
The broadcaster confirmed that any behaviour falling below BBC standards would not be tolerated.
Wallace has co-presented MasterChef alongside John Torode since 2005, as well as its spin-offs Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals.
Wallace’s lawyers have stated it is “completely false” that he engages in any behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.
Last month, Wallace addressed previous allegations from 2018 on his Instagram Stories, saying: “This was investigated promptly when it happened six years ago by the BBC and the outcome of that was that I hadn’t said anything sexual.”
He added: “I’ll need to repeat this again. I didn’t say anything sexual.”
