Gregg Wallace latest: Masterchef host says accusations come from ‘middle-class women of a certain age’
Host faces allegations of making inappropriate sexual comments from 13 people over a 17-year period
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Your support makes all the difference.Gregg Wallace has said accusations about him making sexual comments towards staff and guests have come from “middle-class women of a certain age”.
The Masterchef presenter left the BBC programme on Thursday (28 November) after claims were made by 13 people that he made a number of inappropriate sexual comments.
Speaking in a video posted on his Instagram page, the 60-year-old said: “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.
“In 20 years, 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?”
He previously shared a cryptic social media post declaring “we are all different”, and shared an Instagram story of a gingerbread man, with the caption: “Enjoy your weekend.”
It comes after the charity Ambitious about Autism dropped him as an ambassador, a role he begun two years ago after speaking regularly about his four-year-old son’s condition.
The Independent has contacted Wallace’s representatives for comment. A BBC spokesperson said “any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated”.
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Sir Rod Stewart calls Gregg Wallace a ‘bully’
Sir Rod Stewart has hit out at “bully” Gregg Wallace for allegedly “humiliating” his wife when she was on MasterChef.
The musician’s claims arrive after it was announced Wallace had stepped down from the BBC cookery competition following allegations of inappropriate sexual comments over several years.
In the wake of the news that the BBC was investigating Wallace’s behaviour, Stewart shared a post in which he claimed the host treated Penny Lancaster in a nasty manner when she was on the show in 2021.
More here:
Rod Stewart hits out at Gregg Wallace for ‘humiliating’ his wife on MasterChef
‘You had that bit cut out, didn’t you?’ singer said after Wallace stepped down as host
Poor behaviour ‘will not be tolerated’, BBC says
A BBC spokesman 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.”
Downing Street said allegations about Gregg Wallace were “deeply concerning”.
A Number 10 spokesman said: “The allegations made are deeply concerning regarding today’s reporting.
“It’s right that a thorough investigation is conducted, but this of course is one for the BBC and you will have seen their statement saying that they ‘take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place’.
“While that process is underway it wouldn’t be right for me to comment. I believe the BBC is currently undertaking a workplace culture review to deliver clear and timely recommendations, and it’s essential that staff and the wider public have confidence that the BBC takes these issues seriously.”
Watch: Ex-BBC chief says stars 'got away with all sorts' amid Gregg Wallace probe
Masterchef food critic William Sitwell breaks silence on allegations
The Telegraph’s restaurant critic William Sitwell said he was “astonished” at the allegations being made against Wallace in a comment piece in the newspaper.
He wrote: “Interesting, funny, exhausting and outrageous, is the Gregg I know. I gather his colleagues at MasterChef and the production company are as astonished as I am about the news.
“And I’m sure we all hope this force of nature will be back on set sooner than you can say, as his catchphrase goes, ‘buttery biscuit base’.”
Penny Lancaster breaks silence after husband, Rod Stewart, accused Gregg of bullying her
Penny Lancaster has spoken out after her husband, Rod Stewart, accused Gregg Wallance of bullying her in a dramatic social media post.
Stewart took to Instagram on Thursday to accuse Wallace of “humiliating” his wife and then having the footage “cut” when she was a contestant on the celebrity version of Masterchef in 2021.
A spokesperson for Penny Lancaster has now said she is happy to “talk to the appropriate authorities” after the host stepped down from the BBC show.
A spokesperson told the MailOnline: ‘While Penny is happy to talk to the appropriate authorities should they feel she has anything useful to add, she will not be discussing the matter with any broadcaster or newspaper at this time.’
