Gregg Wallace is facing backlash for claims of sexual misconduct which surfaced this week.
On Thursday (November 28), the star was revealed to be stepping back from hosting MasterChef following allegations of exhibiting "sexualised" behaviour on set. The star has since pulled back from hosting the show while a probe investigates the claims.
In total, 13 individual claims have been lodged with the channel about the presenter, 60, with sexual misconduct a top priority. However, aside from production staff, a number of celebrities have spoken out against the star after the revelation of the channel's investigation.
READ MORE: Gregg Wallace refuses to eat Rod Stewart's wife's food in resurfaced MasterChef clip
READ MORE: Rod Stewart slams 'bully' Gregg Wallace and claims he 'humiliated' wife Penny Lancaster
Gregg has thanked fans for support after the claims emerged. And his lawyer has said "it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature".
So, as the investigation into the allegations of misconduct continues, Daily Star looks at some of the celebrities who have hit out at Gregg Wallace.
Kirsty Wark
Former Newsnight presenter Kirsty was the first of many celebrities to come out against Gregg, commenting on her experience of the presenter. Having competed in the celebrity version of MasterChef in 2011, Kirsty claimed that Wallace had made several "jokes of a sexualised nature" two times during the course of filming.
Kirsty went on to claim that members of the production crew, as well as other contestants were in the room at the time the comments were made. Speaking to BBC News shortly after the allegations surfaced, she said she believed the comments were "really, really in the wrong place".
As a result, Kirsty's claims were one of the first to be registered against the star, alongside other members of production staff who raised red flags about his behaviour. Others included production staff across seniority, including one who claimed Gregg told them he was wearing no underwear underneath.
Sir Rod Stewart
Shortly after the claims against Gregg came to light, Sir Rod Stewart was one of the first to hit out at the presenter for his conduct. In a short but snappy statement, the rock legend blasted Gregg for his treatment of Rod's wife Penny Lancaster on the show.
Branding him an "ill-mannered bully", Sir Rod welcomed Gregg's temporary departure from television. In a scathing attack on Gregg, Rod said the cooking professional left her "humiliated" after he said he would not try her food.
Rounding off his post, he smugly wrote: "Karma got ya," before signing off. Penny herself has not commented on the claims made against the star.
Ulrika Jonsson
Another celebrity contestant, Ulrika Jonsson claimed she was told that Gregg had made a "rape joke" whilst on the set of MasterChef back in 2017. Competing on the show, Ulrika claimed to The Telegraph that another female contestant walked off set in tears, telling the former Gladiators host what he allegedly said.
It is reported that Gregg was spoken to about his comments. Ulrika claimed Gregg eventually apologised, describing him as having "tears in his eyes" as he said sorry.
When asked about her opinion on the joke, Ulrika said it would have been best if Gregg had not said the joke in the first place. She also claimed she believes show bosses did not speak out "for fear of losing their jobs".
Charlotte Crosby
The BBC confirmed that the allegations made against Greg relate to a 17-year period between 2005 and 2022. However, even this year, stars of the BBC smash cooking show have come out against host Gregg for his conduct on the programme.
This includes former Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby, who told her followers about her experience during filming, and that Gregg did little to ease her time on the show. "He was extremely unpleasant to me when I was on MasterChef," she claimed - but refused to expand on her claim further.
In a chat on The One Show, Charlotte looked back on her time on the cooking show with dread: "There's something about that space and that studio you feel like a little kid again. It's horrible, all the lights are on you; the pressure - it's really scary. There was a lot of emotion!"
Katy Brand
In 2013, comedian Katy Brand was competing on the cooking tournament alongside the likes of Loose Women star Janet Street-Porter. During one episode, Katy presented an egg tart for Gregg and John Torode, who were acting as the judges.
Gregg was particularly bowled over by the dessert and praised Katy for the creation, saying: "Left to my own devices, I would probably munch the living daylights out of you. little tart." The clip has since resurfaced, and has been brought in as another potential claim of sexual misconduct in the workplace.
However, Katy herself has said she sees no harm in the comment, as she explained on a post on her social media. "I took it as an innuendo-laden remark at the time and I still see it that way now," she said.
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