Gregg Wallace is set to be replaced on MasterChef by one of his biggest rivals on the telly. The bookies have James Martin as favourite for his role.
MasterChef star Wallace has stepped back from his presenter role on the BBC cooking show, as an external review is being conducted into historical misconduct allegations.
Claims include pressing his crotch against a woman while filming on a different show, and touching a woman's bottom at an event, among other inappropriate behaviour.
The 60-year-old's lawyers previously said it was "entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature" and Wallace has vehemently denied all allegations made against him.
The Mirror reports MasterChef Staff members and former contestants, including celebrities such as Emma Kennedy and Kirsty Wark, have claimed Wallace made them feel uncomfortable on set.
On Wednesday, Gregg's ghostwriter, Shannon Kyle, made accusations against the star when speaking to Victoria Derbyshire on NewsNight.
Wallace was accused of asking a British Sign Language interpreter to sign inappropriate phrases. An attendee at the BBC Good Food Show claimed Wallace asked the interpreter to sign "big boobs" and "sexy bum" at the NEC Arena in Birmingham in 2012.
She told The Guardian: "There was a British Sign Language interpreter there and he wandered over to her at one point and just said: ‘Do you have to sign everything I say?’
"And she said yes, and then he just started saying, ‘big boobs’, ‘sexy bum’ – this sort of thing, in order to get her to sign it. It was like he could control her, I suppose."
Now, it looks as though fellow TV chef James Martin, 52, is top dog to replace him in the role, according to bookies. The TV favourite Yorkshireman hosts his own ITV series, James Martin's Saturday Morning, and he previously fronted Saturday Kitchen on BBC.
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Now it's claimed his "impressive" career could see him replace Gregg, and front MasterChef alongside John Torode, 59. Bookies BetFred have priced him as favourite, with odds of 5/2 to replace Gregg.
But John's wife Lisa Faulkner is in the frame with odds of 3/1, Nigella Lawson at 4/1 and Gino D'Acampo at 5/1. Betfred spokesperson Kayley Cornelius said: “With Gregg Wallace unlikely to return to MasterChef, the big question is who might step into his shoes."
She added: "At the moment, TV chef James Martin is the bookies’ favourite to take over as the new face of the iconic series, with odds of 5/2.
"With experience hosting Saturday Kitchen and regularly appearing on This Morning, a prime-time show could be the perfect next step in James's already impressive career."
It comes after it was revealed that two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials have been pulled from the BBC’s schedule after the former greengrocer stepped away from hosting the cooking show.
Wallace apologised on Monday 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”.
He 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 since sharing their experiences.
The presenter is "committed to fully cooperating throughout the process" during the BBC's investigation process, a statement from the show's production company Banijay UK said.
He has also stepped away from his role on the show amid the investigation. On Sunday morning, Gregg took to social media to challenge the accusations and claimed they came from "middle-class women of a certain age".
This prompted Ulrika to say his "ignorance and arrogance knows no bounds". He later issued a grovelling apology and said that he was taking some time away from social media. The Mirror has approached a BBC spokesperson for comment.
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