Gregg Wallace live: BBC says MasterChef will air tonight as ex host blames women jibe on feeling ‘under siege’
In a video posted on Instagram, the presenter said he was ‘under a huge amount of stress’
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Your support makes all the difference.Gregg Wallace has apologised for saying allegations of inappropriate behaviour were made by “middle-class women of a certain age”, claiming he felt “under siege”.
Wallace said in a video posted on Instagram that he was “not in a good place” and he is “under a lot of stress”.
“I wasn’t in a good headspace when I posted it, I’ve been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion, I felt very alone, under siege yesterday when I posted it,” he said, adding that he will “take some time out”.
Downing Street condemned Wallace’s remarks about middle class women as “inappropriate and misogynistic”.
The BBC is resisting calls to pause broadcasts of MasterChef as it investigates allegations by 13 individuals of sexually inappropriate comments made by Wallace, who stepped down from the programme on Thursday.
The current series of MasterChef: The Professionals, with Wallace as a judge, will continue to be aired as planned. “MasterChef is life-changing for the chefs that take part and the show is about more than one individual,” a BBC spokesman said.
“Any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated,” the broadcaster reiterated.
Downing Street says Wallace comments on middle class women were ‘misogynistic'
Downing Street has said Gregg Wallace’s response to the accusations being made against him was “inappropriate and misogynistic”.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has since held talks with BBC bosses in the wake of the Wallace row, Downing Street said.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Culture Secretary spoke with the BBC leadership at the end of last week on this matter and wider workplace culture issues to seek assurances that there are robust processes in place to deal with complaints.
“Clearly the comments we have seen from the individual over the weekend were completely inappropriate and misogynistic.
“More broadly the BBC is conducting an independent review into workplace culture which must deliver clear and timely recommendations. It’s essential that staff and the wider public have confidence that the BBC takes these issues seriously.”
Asked whether MasterChef should be pulled off air, the spokesman added the decision was for the BBC and the show’s production company, and reiterated that Downing Street believes it is “right” that a thorough investigation is conducted.
Essential that staff and public are confident BBC takes workplace issues seriously, says No 10
Downing Street has warned that it is “essential that staff and the wider public have confidence” that the BBC takes issues relating to workplace culture seriously.
After revealing that culture secretary Lisa Nandy spoke to BBC bosses last week after the Gregg Wallace row began, No 10 said: “More broadly the BBC is conducting an independent review into workplace culture which must deliver clear and timely recommendations.
“It’s essential that staff and the wider public have confidence that the BBC takes these issues seriously.”
Gregg Wallace apologises for ‘any offence that I caused'
Gregg Wallace has apologised for “any offence that I caused” after posting a video saying complaints about his behaviour came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”.
In a video posted on Instagram, Wallace said: “I want to apologise for any offence that I caused with my post yesterday and any upset I may have caused to a lot of people.
“I wasn’t in a good headspace when I posted it, I’ve been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion, I felt very alone, under siege yesterday when I posted it.
“It’s obvious to me I need to take some time out, now, while this investigation is under way I hope you understand and I do hope you will accept this apology.”
Who is celebrity chef Gregg Wallace?
Gregg Wallace, 60, is best known for co-presenting MasterChef alongside John Torode since 2005, as well as its spin-offs Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals.
He was the original presenter of the BBC show Saturday Kitchen in 2002 and has also featured on Eat Well For Less, Inside The Factory, Turn Back Time, Harvest, and Supermarket Secrets.
He was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2022 for his services to food and charity. Mr Wallace took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2014 and was partnered with Aliona Vilani.
He has two children, Tom and Libby, from a former relationship. He married Anne-Marie Sterpini in 2016 and the couple have a son called Sid.
Wallace’s latest remarks in full
MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has said accusations about him making sexual comments towards staff and guests have come from “middle-class women of a certain age”.
Speaking in a video posted on his Instagram page, the 60-year-old 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.
“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?”
Culture secretary spoke to BBC bosses after Gregg Wallace row erupted, No 10 says
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy held talks with BBC bosses to seek assurances that “there are rohbust processes in place to deal with complaints” in the wake of the Gregg Wallace row, Downing Street has said.
Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesperson said that Ms Nandy “spoke with the BBC leadership at the end of last week on this matter and wider workplace culture issues”.
Wallace remarks on middle-class women ‘inappropriate and misogynistic’, says No 10
Downing Street has condemned Gregg Wallace’s remarks characterising those who have complained about his alleged comments as being “middle-class women of a certain age”.
Asked about Wallace’s remarks, Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesperson was cited as saying by the Telegraph: “On this, as we said last week these allegations are obviously deeply concerning. It’s right that a thorough investigation is conducted.
“Obviously that’s for the BBC and the production company but I would add that the Culture Secretary spoke with the BBC leadership at the end of last week on this matter and wider workplace culture issues to seek assurances that there are robust processes in place to deal with the complaints.
“And as you know clearly the comments that we’ve seen from the individual over the weekend were completely inappropriate and misogynistic.”
BBC source says wrong to suggest broadcaster has not acted on complaints
A BBC source has said it would be wrong to report that the broadcaster has not acted when complaints have been raised.
The source said: “While we are not going to comment on individuals or any internal HR processes, particularly when there is an ongoing process in place being run by Banijay who have the direct contractual relationship with Gregg Wallace, it would be wrong to report the BBC has done nothing if or when matters have been raised with us – not least because it is already being widely reported there were interventions in both 2017 and 2018 where action was taken.
“We continue to urge caution about pre-judging any of this, particularly the involvement of BBC staff members and any inference they have not acted appropriately.”
BBC executive Kate Phillips raised concerns in 2017 that Gregg Wallace’s behaviour was “unacceptable and cannot continue” after former Celebrity MasterChef contestant Aasmah Mir complained about inappropriate comments during filming, the Sunday Times has reported.
The newspaper claimed Wallace then received another warning the following year after a complaint was raised about his behaviour on the quiz show Impossible Celebrities.
Lorraine Kelly responds to Gregg Wallace MasterChef scandal
BBC expected to go ahead with broadcasting filmed MasterChef episodes as planned
As the BBC faces pressure to pause future broadcasts of MasterChef while the allegations of inappropriate sexual remarks by Gregg Wallace are investigated, is understood that all filmed episodes will go ahead as planned.
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.
“It would be inappropriate for us to comment on anything that could form part of Banijay’s ongoing investigation or otherwise influence it.”