MasterChef stars Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti's remarks about Gregg Wallace resurface

Gregg Wallace has been a judge on MasterChef: the Professionals since it launched in 2008, having worked alongside Monica Galetti and Marcus Wareing on the BBC show

Comments made by Gregg Wallace's MasterChef: the Professionals colleagues have resurfaced this week amid him facing allegations of inappropriate sexual comments. 

It was announced last week that Gregg, 60, has stepped away from his role on MasterChef whilst production company Banijay UK review apparent historical misconduct complaints. As reported by BBC News, his lawyers said it was 'entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature' and Gregg - who has been accused of making "jokes of a sexualised nature" - has since spoken out himself.

Following the news, comments made last year by his MasterChef: the Professionals co-stars Monica Galetti, 49, and Marcus Wareing, 54, have resurfaced. Monica returned last year, after previously being a judge from 2009 to 2021, whilst Marcus has been on the BBC show since 2014.

As reported by OK! magazine at the time, upon her return to the BBC show last year, Monica teased over Marcus having gone grey since her departure, saying: "But I think we all get that for a year working with Gregg." It added that she also said ahead of last year's series airing: "I was missing Gregg's jokes until the first day of filming. Marcus and I never get the punchlines so we hear them over and over."

The outlet reported that Marcus suggested there were sometimes disagreements over decisions on the show. He's quoted as having said at the time: "If it was just me and Monica, then we're good at predicting the winner, but because Gregg is in the mix, it f***s it all up a bit. We have times where we do disagree but everyone's entitled to their point of view. There are three votes and in the early days I'd be fighting like a cat in a bag but now it's like, 'Whatever'."

The comments have resurfaced recently following the news on Thursday that Gregg would be stepping away MasterChef while allegations from 13 people that he made inappropriate sexual comments are investigated. The allegations are said to have been made by people working across a range of shows over a 17-year period.

In a statement, production company Banijay UK said: "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 under way, Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef and is committed to fully co-operating 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."

A BBC spokesperson said: "We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them. We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated. Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them."

Whilst Gregg said in a video shared on social media over the weekend: "I have 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 [and] all walks of life. And apparently now I am reading in the paper there's been 13 complaints in that time. Now in the newspaper 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."

He continued: "In over 20 years of television, can you imagine how many women, female contestants, on MasterChef have made sexual remarks or sexual innuendo. Can you imagine?"

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