Gregg Wallace DROPPED by autism charity in another blow after TV investigation

MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace has been dropped by an autism charity he was an ambassador for following a series of allegations made against him

Gregg Wallace has been dropped as the patron of an autism charity after he stepped away from MasterChef hosting duties.

The TV presenter, 60, is a proud dad to five-year-old son Sid, who is autistic and non-verbal. He was diagnosed in 2022, with Wallace becoming an ambassador for Ambitious about Autism a year later. This week, Wallace has seen a series of complaints made against him by people who claim they previously worked together. Wallace has been accused of making inappropriate sexual comments and has denied allegations of inappropriate sexual comments he is said to have made.

Production company Banijay UK are externally reviewing the historical misconduct complaints and Wallace is “committed to fully cooperating throughout the process”. Wallace had been an ambassador for Ambitious about Autism since June last year but has since been dropped.

Ambitious about Autism confirmed to Civil Society that it is no longer working with Wallace. A spokesperson for the charity said: “In light of recent allegations, we are no longer working with Gregg Wallace. We have let him know our decision and thanked him for his support of our work over the last two years.”

In June 2023, Ambitious about Autism announced Wallace as their ambassador. Commenting at the time, he said: "I am thrilled to be Ambitious about Autism’s new ambassador. As a parent to my wonderful autistic son, Sid, this charity is very close to my heart.

“I was lucky enough to see firsthand the charity’s amazing work at its pioneering TreeHouse School – and it was a joy to spend time with pupils and their dedicated staff. Autistic children and young people and their families face many challenges and that’s why Ambitious about Autism’s work is so vital. I’m really looking forward to working with the charity to break down barriers, increase autism acceptance and ensure young people can reach their potential in education, employment and beyond.”

Wallace has since been removed from their list of ambassadors that includes the likes of journalist Jon Snow, triathlete Sam Holness and author David Mitchell. Earlier this year, Wallace and his wife Annie-Marie Sterpini said they were doing all they could to educate themselves about their son Sid, five, following him being diagnosed with autism in 2022.

"There's lots of eye contact and smiles, and a cuddle is Sid's default position," the proud dad explained, before going on to discuss some tougher aspects of parenting Sid. He told The Sun: "When he's unhappy, he can't tell us. If he's scared or unwell, he can't tell us. That's quite nerve-racking for a parent."

Former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark is among 13 people who have accused the MasterChef presenter of making inappropriate sexual comments. Yesterday, a statement 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. 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.

“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. 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."

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. 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.”

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