Gregg Wallace's traumatic Strictly remarks resurface as he claimed pro 'disliked him'

Gregg Wallace revealed the awful experience he had on Strictly Come Dancing as he said he was left in 'floods of tears' before his exit

Gregg Wallace "hated" his time on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, making a bold claim about his partnering.

The 60-year-old grocer-turned-presenter took part in 2014's version of the dance show. He was paired with professional dancer Aliona Vilani, but was left less than impressed. His time on the ballroom show was short lived as the duo were promptly voted off first. He had previously said he had been left in tears after just two weeks competing.

Last year, Gregg revealed he hated his time on the contest and admitted his therapist was quick to come to help him as he struggled. Speaking to The Mirror's Men In Mind podcast last year, he said his therapist jumped in a car to be at his side in his dressing room and 'had me in floods of tears' as the situation got too much for him.

He said he was eventually able to go out and dance, but such was the levels of stress, he was left with rashes on the side of his face.

It's not the first time he had complained about his time on the competition, either. Speaking to OK! magazine in 2021, the presenter claimed the only time he enjoyed the show was the last day on the final. He said at the time: "I love dancing, but if I were paired with somebody who liked me then I would have done better."

And in 2014, he had also said expressed his tough time to The Express: "I was suffering from so much stage-fright and severe anxiety that, on Saturday morning, I cried out of fear and desperation," he told the publication. "It was absolute terror that I couldn't overcome."

Gregg has recently confirmed he is stepping away from his role on MasterChef amid a probe against his alleged behaviour. Kirsty Wark is among those who have complained about Gregg's antics. Speaking to BBC News, Kirsty said his alleged remarks were "really, really in the wrong place". She had finished second on 2011's Celebrity MasterChef. Gregg has previously denied any wrongdoing, and is said to be cooperating fully with the investigation.

The production company behind MasterChef said on Thursday: "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.”

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