Gregg Wallace hits out at ‘handful’ of accusers of misconduct

Gregg Wallace has hit again at allegations of historic misconduct, saying they’ve come from a “handful of middle-class ladies of a sure age”.

The MasterChef presenter mentioned in a video on Instagram on Sunday morning there had been “13 complaints” from “over 4,000 contestants” he had labored with in 20 years on the BBC One present.

He stepped apart earlier this week after a BBC Information investigation revealed a string of allegations of inappropriate sexual feedback and inappropriate behaviour towards him, with broadcaster Kirsty Wark among the many complainants.

In accordance with the Sunday Instances, broadcaster Aasmah Mir additionally complained about inappropriate feedback Wallace had allegedly made throughout filming of Superstar MasterChef.

“I have been doing MasterChef for 20 years – newbie, skilled and Superstar MasterChef – and I believe in that point I’ve labored with over 4,000 contestants of all totally different ages, all totally different backgrounds, all walks of life,” Wallace instructed his greater than 200,000 followers.

“And apparently now, I am studying within the paper, there’s been 13 complaints in that point.

“Now, within the newspaper I can see the complaints coming from a handful of middle-class ladies of a sure age simply from Superstar MasterChef. This is not proper.”

He completed his assertion by saying: “In over 20 years of tv, are you able to think about what number of ladies, feminine contestants on MasterChef, have made sexual remarks or sexual innuendo – are you able to think about?”

Wallace’s attorneys have strongly denied he engages in sexually harassing behaviour, whereas the BBC mentioned it’ll “all the time pay attention if individuals wish to make us conscious of one thing straight”.

It comes because the BBC faces contemporary questions over its dealing with of allegations towards the 60-year-old, after emails emerged displaying it was warned about him in 2017.

Mir has mentioned that she complained to the BBC about Gregg Wallace’s remarks on the set of the cooking present.

In an inside electronic mail, BBC govt Kate Phillips, who now heads up unscripted programmes for the company, mentioned that his behaviour on set was “unacceptable and can’t proceed”.

She added that she would make it possible for she was “knowledgeable immediately” ought to additional allegations be made towards him.

Mir later despatched an electronic mail that was copied to Phillips, saying: “This should not occur once more to a different girl.”

Individually, the Observer says a letter containing a number of claims of inappropriate behaviour by Gregg Wallace was despatched to the BBC in 2022, however didn’t end in additional investigation on the time.

On Thursday, MasterChef’s manufacturing firm Banijay UK mentioned Wallace would step away from presenting the present whereas allegations of historic misconduct had been investigated.

The 60-year-old is “dedicated to totally co-operating all through the method”, Banijay added.

It got here after BBC Information despatched a letter to Wallace’s representatives, setting out allegations we’ve got heard from 13 individuals, throughout a 17-year interval.

One in all them was Ms Wark, a Superstar MasterChef contestant in 2011, who mentioned he instructed “sexualised” jokes throughout filming.

Since then, extra individuals have come ahead with allegations concerning the presenter.

On Saturday night, Wallace mentioned in an Instagram submit: “We’re all totally different.”

His attorneys have mentioned it’s solely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.

The BBC mentioned it has “strong processes” in place to cope with points if they’re raised.

Earlier on Saturday, MasterChef producers introduced they’ve appointed a “rigorous” legislation agency to guide an investigation into Wallace’s alleged misconduct.

On the appointment of London legislation agency Lewis Silkin, a Banijay UK spokesperson mentioned it was a “extremely skilled specialist investigations workforce which has overseen a broad vary of high-profile office investigations”.