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Gregg Wallace issued an apology on Instagram. (Image: Instagram)
Gregg Wallace issued an apology for claiming complaints about his behaviour came from "a handful of middle-class women of a certain age", adding he will now "take some time out".
The MasterChef presenter, who faces various allegations including making "inappropriate sexual jokes", posted a video on his Instagram Story on Monday to issue an apology.
He said: "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.
"I wasn't in a good headspace when I posted it, I've been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion, I felt very alone, under siege yesterday when I posted it.
"It's obvious to me I need to take some time out, now while this investigation is under way. I hope you understand and I do hope you will accept this apology."
Gregg Wallace speaks about complaints against him
It follows a backlash to the comments made over the weekend with Downing Street saying his response to the accusations was "inappropriate and misogynistic".
A PR expert said that it is likely that Gregg did not seek advice from his publicist before posting the videos, and as a result, they sparked more backlash.
Rochelle White of Rochelle White Communications said: “As a PR professional, I don’t think this was something his publicist would have agreed and signed off. It looked more like he had decided to address the allegations himself instead of working with his team.
“It wasn’t received well and gained more backlash on him. I understand why he might have taken it upon himself to share on Instagram, but I think things like this - especially due to the allegations – need to be handled by a team of experts who can manage and advise. The level of attention this has generated isn’t a good look.”
Gregg Wallace sparked backlash with his comments. (Image: Instagram)
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The 60-year-old faces allegations from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period, as reported by BBC News on Thursday, with many others sharing their experiences in recent days.
Wallace's lawyers say "it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature".
Last Thursday, it was announced that Wallace is to step away from MasterChef while historical misconduct complaints are externally reviewed by the producer, Banijay UK.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has since held talks with BBC bosses in the wake of the investigation.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said on Monday: "The Culture Secretary spoke with the BBC leadership at the end of last week on this matter and wider workplace culture issues to seek assurances that there are robust processes in place to deal with complaints.
"Clearly the comments we have seen from the individual over the weekend were completely inappropriate and misogynistic.
"More broadly the BBC is conducting an independent review into workplace culture which must deliver clear and timely recommendations. It's essential that staff and the wider public have confidence that the BBC takes these issues seriously."
New episodes of MasterChef: The Professionals, in which Wallace is a judge, are currently scheduled to air on BBC One on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
English (US) ·