Gregg Wallace warned online outburst could be 'career ending' as he 'goes rogue'

It's claimed MasterChef's Gregg Wallace has 'gone rogue' after he took to Instagram to slam those who have made allegations against him as an investigation into his conduct continues

After MasterChef's Gregg Wallace hit back at allegations made against him, he has been accused of "going rogue" with his response.

The grocer turned broadcaster, 60, shared a number of responses on social media yesterday as he tried to defend himself against a series of sexual misconduct allegations. In one upload, he said: "Can you imagine how many women on MasterChef, female contestants, have made sexual remarks or sexual innuendo?"

However, his response was met with backlash by online users who criticised his apparent attempt to diffuse the situation. And now, it's claimed he may have "gone rogue" when it comes to his reaction.

In his Instagram upload, Wallace said: ‘I’ve been doing MasterChef for 20 years, amateur, celebrity and professional MasterChef, and I think, in that time, I have worked with over 4,000 contestants of all different ages, all different backgrounds, all walks of life. Apparently now, I’m reading in the paper, there’s been 13 complaints in that time.

"I can see the complaints coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age, just from Celebrity MasterChef. This isn’t right"

But PR and crisis management expert Mark Borkowski told Mail Online, it's almost certain the star has avoided the advice of his PR team with his outburst. "The first law of PR in a crisis is never let your emotions rule your Instagram", Borkowski told the publication.

"What Wallace seems to have catastrophically miscalculated is the seismic shift in workplace norms," he added. "Studios, like most workplaces today, are hypersensitive ecosystems. The top-tier talent is expected to lead with grace, setting an example for both on-screen colleagues and off-screen crew. “Bawdy” humour and inappropriate antics, once passed off as harmless personality quirks, now read as tone-deaf at best and career-ending at worst"

Borkowski claimed Wallace appears to only be listening to his ego and not the advice of his team. He claimed such an outburst could prove career ending for him.

Among those hitting out at Wallace include Sir Rod Stewart, who slammed the star for "humiliating his wife". Newsnight host Kirsty Wark also said on Thursday that Wallace told “jokes of a sexualised nature" on two occasions during filming Celebrity MasterChef in 2011. She added that crew and other contestants were present. Speaking to BBC News , Kirsty said Wallace’s alleged remarks were "really, really in the wrong place".

Other allegations include asking for the phone numbers of female members of production staff, and undressing in front of and standing ‘too close’ to women working on his shows.

Wallace has stepped away from his MasterChef role while an investigation into the allegations takes place. He is said to be “committed to fully cooperating throughout the process”, according to a statement from the show’s production company Banijay UK.

Wallace's lawyers, meanwhile, have said "it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature".

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