Gregg Wallace has been embroiled in controversy after stepping back from his MasterChef hosting role, with several celebrities criticising him following a slew of complaints. Allegations have surfaced from individuals claiming to have worked with the TV chef, accusing him of making inappropriate sexual remarks.
The 60 year old presenter has refuted claims that he made such comments. Banijay UK, the production company, is conducting an external review of the historical misconduct allegations, and Wallace has expressed his intention to fully cooperate with the investigation.
A total of 13 people are reported to have reported to the BBC about Wallace's inappropriate sexual comments spanning various shows over 17 years. Since these revelations, numerous celebrities have publicly condemned Wallace.
Kirsty Wark
Scots broadcaster Kirsty Wark has levelled accusations against Wallace for making "sexualised jokes" during her stint on Celebrity MasterChef in 2011. Known for presenting BBC Newsnight, Kirsty recounted that Wallace made "jokes of a sexualised nature" on two separate occasions while filming, in the presence of crew and fellow contestants.
In a statement to BBC News, she described Wallace's alleged comments as "really, really in the wrong place", reports the Mirror.
Sir Rod Stewart
Sir Rod Stewart blasted Wallace in a fiery post to his 1.4million followers on Thursday evening, accusing him of 'humiliating' his wife Penny Lancaster during her stint on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021.
He shared: "Good riddance Wallace... 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."
Charlotte Crosby
Geordie Shore's Charlotte Crosby, who appeared on the latest series of Celebrity MasterChef, reacted to the news by telling her fans: "He was extremely unpleasant to me when I was on MasterChef."
The TV personality did not divulge further details, although she recounted her intimidating experience on MasterChef during an appearance on the One Show, describing it as: "There's something about that space and that studio you feel like a little kid again. It's horrible, all the lights are on you. The pressure - it's really scary. There was a lot of emotion!"
Ulrika Jonsson
Ulrika Jonsson took to Instagram to allege that Wallace made a 'rape joke' on MasterChef. She expressed frustration over feeling 'made a liar of' after Gregg's legal representatives claimed all allegations were 'entirely false'.
In a subsequent story, Jonsson suggested multiple crew members on MasterChef were aware of and had witnessed Gregg's objectionable behaviour.
She alleged: "Plenty of crew on set who would not dare to speak up for fear of losing their jobs."
In a conversation with the Telegraph, Jonsson recounted that another female contestant was left "really distressed" by Wallace's supposed comments. She described seeing the woman exit the set and inquired about the incident.
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"She then told us that Gregg Wallace had made a rape joke. She was really distressed about it," Jonsson said. The contestant shared the joke with Jonsson before deciding to talk to a producer.
"They then went off to speak to Gregg," she continued. "After a while he came up...and he apologised. He could hardly get his words out... He was apologising, and he had tears in his eyes."
Jonsson expressed her view that Wallace should never have made the joke at all.
Katy Brand
Katy Brand has recently spoken out after a video from her appearance on MasterChef resurfaced. During the episode, Wallace commented to her: "Left to my own devices, I would probably munch the living daylights out of you.. your little tart. Very, very nice."
To which Katy responded with an "Excuse me," accompanied by laughter.
In a recent social media post, Katy stated: "I am aware of the allegations of misconduct currently surrounding Greg Wallace. I am aware that he has stepped back from presenting MasterChef until these allegations have been properly investigated.
"I am also aware that a video of my time on the show in 2013 is circulating, where Wallace makes a remark to me about a dish I cooked. I took it as an innuendo-laden remark at the time, and I still see it that way now."
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