“This isn’t right”- Masterchef UK Host Gregg Wallace claps back at accusers over misconduct allegations

Investitures 2023: Gregg Wallace Among Recipients - Source: Getty
Gregg Wallace has been accused of inappropriate behavior by 13 people. (Image via Getty Images)

According to Masterchef UK host Gregg Wallace "middle-class women of a certain age" have accused him of making inappropriate remarks to employees and visitors. The 60-year-old said in a video that was uploaded on his Instagram story on December 1:

“Now, 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.”

He continued:

“And apparently, now, I'm reading in the paper, there've 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.”

The video came after Gregg Wallace announced that he is stepping down as the host of Masterchef UK on Thursday, November 28, 2024. According to a BBC News report that was published on December 1, this happened after the TV presenter was accused of making inappropriate s*xual remarks by 13 people.

The same report stated that in 2022, a letter was sent to the BBC stating the same, but it did not lead to any additional investigation. Referring to the Masterchef host’s "pattern of behavior”, the letter said that he:

“Clearly fails to meet the s*xual harassment and bullying standards that prohibit unwelcome s*xual advances and s*xual innuendo”.

Masterchef UK Host Gregg Wallace is currently facing allegations

Wallace is currently not working as the host of Masterchef UK. (Image via Getty Images)
Wallace is currently not working as the host of Masterchef UK. (Image via Getty Images)

Talking about the same allegations and justifying himself, in another Instagram video on December 1, Gregg Wallace further said:

“In 20 years, over 20 years of television, can you imagine how many women, female contestants or master chefs, have made s*xual remarks or s*xual innuendo? Can you imagine?”

Wallace continued by saying that "absolutely none" of his other shows' employees had voiced any grievances about him. He then said:

“Look, this is important to me. Twenty years of doing Celebrity MasterChef, amateur, professional, Eat Well for Less?, Inside the Factory. Do you know how many staff, all different sorts of staff, you imagine the people I’ve worked with. Do you know how many staff complained about me at that time? Absolutely none. Zero.”

Reportedly, Wallace has been accused of making inappropriate s*xual remarks by 13 people of all ages, who worked with him on five separate shows across 17 years. Shortly after this, an investigation was launched against Wallace.

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As per BBC News' November 30 report, actor Emma Kennedy, who won Celebrity MasterChef in 2012, also responded to Gregg Wallace's Instagram video and said that it makes no difference how old any of the women are.

Furthermore, broadcaster Kirstie Allsopp accused Wallace of making references to s*xual acts soon after they first met. Writing on X on Sunday, December 1, the co-host of Location, Location, Location said:

“Within 1hr of meeting Gregg Walllace he told me of a s*x act that he & his partner at the time enjoyed ‘every morning’, she’d just left the room, we were filming a pilot. Did he get off on how embarrassed I was? It was totally unprofessional, I’m a #MiddleClassWomanOfaCertainAge”.

Additionally, the same letter which was sent to the BBC in 2022, recounted the experiences of multiple people. These included complaints that Gregg Wallace made s*xualized remarks and appeared topless in front of his coworkers.

It was further revealed by BBC that in 2017, Wallace received a warning from a BBC executive about his behavior. Reportedly broadcaster Aasmah Mir, who starred in the 12th season of Celebrity MasterChef, had previously voiced her displeasure with Wallace's s*xist remarks.

According to reports, BBC executive Kate Phillips admitted in an internal email that Wallace's actions were "unacceptable" and had to end. She also promised Mir that she would be notified if any new accusations were made. However, no step was taken at the time.

Nevertheless, Gregg Wallace's attorneys have claimed that all allegations are completely untrue and that Wallace did not s*xually harass anyone.

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Edited by Niharika Dabral
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