SHAMED Gregg Wallace has broken his silence after a bombshell report into his inappropriate behaviour was revealed.
The MasterChef star, 60, was sacked by the BBC after an investigation upheld 45 out of the 83 allegations made against him.
Gregg Wallace has broken his silence after a bombshell report upheld 45 of 83 allegations against him[/caption]
The TV host, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder during the seven-month probe, has now released a statement.
He said: “For eight months, my family and I have lived under a cloud. Trial by media, fuelled by rumour and clickbait.
“None of the serious allegations against me were upheld.
“I challenged the remaining issue of unwanted touching but have had to accept a difference in perception, and I am deeply sorry for any distress caused. It was never intended.”
He went on to add that he is “relieved that the Banijay report fully recognises that my behaviour changed profoundly in 2018”.
And he admitted that some of his humour and language “missed the mark”.
But the TV chef insisted: “I never set out to harm or humiliate. I always tried to bring warmth and support to MasterChef, on screen and off. After nearly 20 years on the show, I now see that certain patterns, shaped by traits I’ve only recently begun to understand, may have been misread.
“I also accept that more could have been done, by others and by myself, to address concerns earlier.
“A late autism diagnosis has helped me understand how I communicate and how I’m perceived. I’m still learning. Banijay have given me great support, and I thank them. But in the end, the BBC left me exposed to trial by media and the damage it leaves in its wake.
“To those who’ve shown kindness, thank you. It mattered. This has been brutal. For a working-class man with a direct manner, modern broadcasting has become a dangerous place.”
He added: “I was the headline this time. But I won’t be the last. There will be more casualties if the BBC continues down this path, where protecting its legacy matters more than protecting people. For my part, with full legal support, I will consider my next move.”
It follows a scathing Instagram post shared from his platform last week.
He vowed he would “not go quietly” and blasted the corporation for failing to “investigate my disability or protect me”.
This comes as the report into Wallace’s behaviour has also revealed two more people are facing a probe over “inappropriate behaviour”.
The report found out of the 83 allegations against Wallace, 45 were substantiated.
Most of them involved inappropriate sexual language and humour.
But, the investigation also looked at 10 complaints made about other people, from the period between 2012 to 2018/2019.
Two were substantiated, relating to inappropriate language, one for swearing and the other for racist language.
“Lewis Silkin’s findings include two further allegations which were upheld, relating to other individuals,” stated the report.
“The BBC takes these findings very seriously and we have asked Banijay UK to take action to address these issues, which is underway.
“This will be completed as a priority.”
Of the substantiated claims regarding Wallace, some related to other inappropriate language, being in a state of undress, and one case of unwanted physical contact.
The report concluded 94 per cent of the allegations against Wallace related to behaviour which is said to have occurred between 2005 and 2018.
Claims we’ve previously reported about Gregg
THE report upheld 45 out of the 83 complaints made. Here we take a look at the allegations made against the TV star:
– November 28, 2024
Wallace faces allegations of inappropriate sexual comments from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period, as reported by BBC News.
The TV star steps away from presenting MasterChef while Banijay, the show’s production company, announces it is conducting an external review to “fully and impartially investigate” the claims against him.
BBC News says allegations include the presenter “talking openly about his sex life, taking his top off in front of a female worker saying he wanted to ‘give her a fashion show’, and telling a junior female colleague he was not wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans”.
Broadcaster Kirsty Wark, who was a Celebrity MasterChef contestant in 2011, says he told “sexualised” jokes during filming.
Model Ulrika Jonsson tells The Telegraph that when she competed on Celebrity MasterChef in 2017, Wallace allegedly had to apologise after making a “rape joke”, which caused another female contestant to become “really distressed”.
Sir Rod Stewart takes to Instagram following the accusations, accusing Wallace of “humiliating” his wife Penny Lancaster on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021.
Producer and director Dawn Elrick posts a letter on Instagram which includes a number of anonymous accounts from people who allege they “have experienced sexism and sexual harassment within the TV industry”. She claims the letter, which accuses Wallace of making lewd comments, was sent to the BBC in 2022.
The TV star’s lawyers say “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”, BBC News reports.
Wallace thanks his Instagram followers for “showing their support”.
– November 29, 2024
Wallace faces a string of new allegations with one woman, who worked on a travel show with him, accusing him of making “lesbian jokes constantly”, as reported by BBC News.
The charity Ambitious About Autism says it had dropped Wallace as an ambassador, citing the “recent allegations”.
– November 30, 2024
The Sunday Telegraph reports producer Georgia Harding, who worked on MasterChef between 2014 and 2015 and later Eat Well For Less, claimed she raised concerns about “inappropriate” behaviour from him while working on the show.
Banijay UK confirms it has appointed law firm Lewis Silkin to lead the investigation into Wallace’s alleged behaviour.
– December 1, 2024
Wallace says in a video posted to Instagram that accusations about him making sexual comments towards staff and guests have come from “middle-class women of a certain age”.
TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp tells BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend that she was “so embarrassed” she thought she “might cry” after Wallace allegedly made a comment to her about his sex life.
Celebrity MasterChef 2012 champion Emma Kennedy tells Times Radio the former greengrocer “just doesn’t understand that some behaviour is completely inappropriate”.
– December 2, 2024
Downing Street says Wallace’s response to the accusations being made against him was “inappropriate and misogynistic”.
A spokesperson also says that Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has held talks with BBC bosses in the wake of the Wallace row.
Following the backlash, Wallace apologises for any “offence” or “upset” he caused with his remarks and said he will now “take some time out” while the investigation is under way.
– December 3, 2024
Two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials are pulled from the BBC’s schedule.
Wallace faces fresh allegations with one woman claiming he touched her bottom after an event and another alleging he pressed his crotch against her while filming on a different show, according to BBC News.
– December 4, 2024
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says politicians should be ready to put in place “mechanisms” that would instil “confidence” that women will be taken seriously in reports of inappropriate behaviour after a Labour MP asked him about “women of a certain age”, reflecting comments Wallace apologised for.
MasterChef presenter John Torode says in a social media post that he “loves being part of” the programme and “will continue to be a part of it” after Wallace stepped back from the show.
A ghostwriter claims Wallace sexually harassed her while she was working on his 2012 autobiography.
– December 10, 2024
Ms Nandy says she is “prepared to take further action” if the creative industries cannot address “cultures of silence and issues being swept under the rug” in relation to claims of misconduct while appearing before the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee.
– April 25, 2025
Wallace tells the Daily Mail he “thought about suicide all the time” after allegations of misconduct were made against him.
– July 8, 2025
Wallace is sacked as MasterChef presenter following the inquiry into his alleged misconduct by production company Banijay, BBC News reports.
Fresh claims about the TV presenter are made from 50 more people to the corporation including allegations he groped one MasterChef worker and pulled his trousers down in front of another, BBC News says.
The majority claim he made inappropriate sexual comments, with 11 women accusing him of inappropriate sexual behaviour, such as groping and touching.
BBC News says it has not seen the final review from Banijay, but it is understood the presenter has been sacked.
In an Instagram post the former greengrocer claims he had been cleared of the “most serious and sensational accusations” against him, ahead of the published review.
He also said he recognises that some of his humour and language was inappropriate “at times” and apologised for this.
It is not known which of these complaints – if any – were upheld.
There was only one substantiated allegation after 2018.
Wallace was said to have been “co-operative and forthcoming” and during three interviews, which lasted a total of 14 hours.
The report found Wallace’s behaviour made people uncomfortable.
The TV star’s comments on set were sometimes met with laughter and they were only occasionally challenged at the time, the report found.
In a statement last week, Wallace told how he had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Investigators noted this as “highly relevant”, in understanding his difficulty reading social cues and use of humour as a “masking technique”.
The report has stated many people who worked on MasterChef were freelancers, who hesitated to make any complaints.
They claimed this was because they feared the stability of their jobs.
This saw the investigation rule there was an inadequate complaints and behavioural policy before 2016.
It found there was little or no formal training, or clear escalation procedures in place.
This resulted in underreporting and normalisation of inappropriate behaviour, the report stated.
It was revealed 19 people said they raised concerns about Wallace but only 11 formal, or informal, complaints were made about his behaviour on MasterChef between 2005 and 2024.
Of these 11 identified complaints, eight were recognised as such at the time.
The other three were treated as comments, and no action was taken.
Four of the eight recognised complaints were raised with both the production company and the BBC, two with the production company only, and two with the BBC alone.
The BBC gave Wallace a formal warning in 2017 following a complaint.
The TV star removed himself from social settings and sought advice from colleagues to avoid further problems, it was stated.
BBC FIRING
The BBC have since announced the possibility of Gregg returning to MasterChef was “untenable”.
A “final decision” on whether the latest season of the show will be aired will “not be made at this stage”, the broadcaster added.
The full statement read: “We welcome the publication of the findings by Lewis Silkin, following the investigation into the conduct of Gregg Wallace.
“In light of these findings, Banijay UK and the BBC have agreed Mr Wallace’s return to MasterChef is untenable.
“The BBC has informed Mr Wallace we have no plans to work with him in future.
“The investigation details a substantial number of allegations of inappropriate conduct spanning 19 years.
“This behaviour falls below the values of the BBC and the expectations we have for anyone who works with or for us.
“Although the full extent of these issues were not known at the relevant time, opportunities were missed to address this behaviour – both by the production companies running MasterChef and the BBC.
“We accept more could and should have been done sooner.
“We want to thank all those who took part in the investigation, including those who first raised concerns directly with the BBC in November last year.
“We apologise to everyone who has been impacted by Mr Wallace’s behaviour.
“Lewis Silkin’s findings include two further allegations which were upheld, relating to other individuals.
“The BBC takes these findings very seriously and we have asked Banijay UK to take action to address these issues, which is underway. This will be completed as a priority.
“The BBC will not be commenting further at this stage, but we are clear we expect the highest standards of respect at work to be upheld on the production.
“At this stage we are not going to make a final decision on the broadcast of the series that was filmed last year.
“We know this is disappointing for fans of the show and those who took part and at the appropriate time Banijay UK will consult further with the amateur contestants.
“In April the BBC published a detailed response to an independent review of workplace culture, which reinforces expectations around behaviour and that we will act more decisively when standards are not met.
“This also requires all TV production partners to align with the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) standards.
“We want to reaffirm, there is no place for the abuse of power, unacceptable behaviour or language at the BBC, or shows made for the BBC.”
What did the report find?
FORTY-five allegations made against Gregg Wallace during his time on MasterChef, including one of “unwelcome physical contact”, were found to have been substantiated.
An independent report commissioned by production company Banijay assessed 83 allegations against Wallace.
The report substantiated:
– Twelve claims he made inappropriate jokes and innuendo;
– Sixteen reports he made sexually explicit comments;
– Two allegations that he made sexualised comments to or about someone;
– Four complaints that he made culturally insensitive or racist comments;
– Three claims that he was in a state of undress;
– Seven allegations of bullying;
– One allegation of unwanted touching.
The allegations span from 2005 to 2024
