An uncomfortable clip featuring Gregg Wallace and Penny Lancaster has come back into the spotlight following Sir Rod Stewart's accusation of bullying against the presenter.
Kirsty Wark, a former Newsnight anchor, is among 13 individuals who have levelled claims that the MasterChef host made inappropriate sexual remarks.
Wallace, 60, who has taken a step back from his presenting duties on the culinary programme, has refuted any allegations of making such comments, the Mirror reports.
He has expressed his intention to "committed to fully cooperating throughout the process" during the ongoing investigation, as per a statement from Banijay UK, the production company behind the show.
In light of these events, Sir Rod Stewart didn't mince his words, labelling Wallace as a "tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully."
He vented: "So Greg Wallace gets fired from Masterchef. 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."
Meanwhile, a segment from Loose Women featuring Penny has gained renewed attention; in it, she experiences an awkward moment over her fried calamari and tartare sauce preparation. Despite this, Penny appeared upbeat and confident during the episode, saying: "I'm doing surprisingly well compared to what I imagined how I'd be doing. I don't want to slip up now."
The episode took a downward spiral when it came to the tasting session. As she presented her dish, Penny said: "That tartare sauce doesn't look like the tartare sauce I'd normally have." Critic Gregg Wallace pointed out the mistake, saying: "You used whole eggs instead of egg yolks."
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Judge John Torode also chimed in with disappointment: "What I've got in here is a raw egg/oil milkshake. Unfortunately, I can't eat that."
Despite this setback, Penny turned things around later in the show with her chicken and coconut curry and accompanying dishes, earning high praise from Gregg who commented: "I found myself going from bowl to bowl to bowl and finding it difficult to stop, you have had what we call in the industry a very good day."
However, the tide turned yet again when trouble hit the kitchen in the episode leading to Penny’s elimination. With problems in timing, Gregg remarked: "Mate, we can't be 10 minutes late" and even labelled her delay as 'serious'.
Wallace has been on MasterChef alongside John since 2005. In other news, the BBC issued a statement yesterday following receipt of complaints concerning historic misconduct allegations tied to presenter Gregg Wallace.
The statement clarified: "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."
Gregg Wallace is temporarily stepping back from his presenting duties on MasterChef amid an ongoing review, with full cooperation promised throughout the process. Banijay UK emphasised their commitment to staff welfare and the clear avenues available for raising concerns, including anonymous options, which are actively promoted on set.
They stated: "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 commented: "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."
Following his departure from the show, Wallace expressed gratitude towards his supporters on Instagram: "I would like to thank all the people for getting in touch, reaching out, and sharing their support. That's good of you. Thank you very much."
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