Gregg Wallace joked he moved his mother-in-law into his £1million family home in an effort to ensure his wife won't leave him.
The presenter, 60, has stepped away from his role as MasterChef host following a series of allegations. An investigation into his conduct has been launched after 13 people were confirmed to have come forward with allegations of him making inappropriate sexual comments - including BBC presenter Kirsty Wark.
Wallace has an unusual living arrangement at home with his fourth wife Ann-Marie, who is 22 years younger than him. Their relationship has been one of Gregg’s longest and the couple welcomed their son Sid, who was diagnosed with autism and a development delay, in 2019.
The couple decided to move Ann-Marie's parents into their Kent home to provide support with their son. Initially just Anna's mum Rina, who is four years older than Wallace, moved into the property. They were later joined by her husband. Despite being unconventional, Wallace has said he has a close bond with Rina due to their similar ages.
“I love Rena - we have such a giggle. We are roughly the same age,” he told The Sun. ”Me and Rena remember the same TV shows and sing the same 1970s pop songs. Anna doesn’t know what we are talking about. We were singing Boney M at breakfast this morning and Anna has no idea.”
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@GreggAWallace/X)Wallace previously shared how the agreement came about as he told the Daily Mail: “I said ‘Yes, I’m willing to have a baby with you, but a couple of provisos... I’m not willing to swap my fun, sexy girlfriend for an exhausted mum. We make enough money, I’d like you to get help in the house.’ Anna said ‘What about my mum?’ That was perfect."
He revealed that his in-laws help around the house, and even sleep with Sid in their room for half the week so Gregg and Anna get a break. Wallace admitted he doesn’t do anything around the house, as his wife and her mother “take care of all the house stuff”. Despite his career focusing on food, the presenter doesn’t cook for his in-laws and said the arrangement was for them to look after him.
“When they moved in, they wanted to contribute. I said 'No way. You don’t need to spend your money anymore. Enjoy your retirement. Come and look after us,’” he stated. Neither Anna or Rina work and Wallace previously claimed they "take their roles very seriously".
When the arrangement first happened, Wallace told The Daily Star newspaper: “Anna can’t leave me because mum would have to leave as well. For an insecure old man with a younger woman, that’s good news.” The couple first hit it off when Anna contacted him on social media to ask if rhubarb really went with duck, after she saw him try the recipe on TV.
He popped the question in 2014, and they tied the knot in a star-studded ceremony at Hever Castle in Kent in August 2016, with Gregg’s MasterChef co-host John Torode serving as best man. The 60-year-old is currently facing allegations of inappropriate sexual comments from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period. Wallace's lawyers say “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”, BBC News reported.
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