Jess Phillips has become the latest high profile politician to come out and condemn Gregg Wallace, saying the MasterChef host “missed the perfect opportunity to say nothing”.
The often outspoken Home Office minister was reserved in her criticism, and stressed that she supported the BBC’s decision not to take the cooking show off air while he is investigated.
But her pointed comment about Mr Wallace’s comments, after he said complaints against him were coming from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”, make her one of many Westminster figures speaking out.
Below is a list of those who have commented on the allegations against Mr Wallace:
Keir Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman on Monday condemned Mr Wallace’s remarks as “completely inappropriate and misogynistic”.
The No10 official added: “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.”
Lisa Nandy
The culture secretary has not publicly condemned Mr Wallace, but the outrage over his behaviour comes as she was holding crunch talks with the BBC.
She met with bosses at the corporation to seek assurances that an ongoing review into workplace culture will “deliver clear and timely recommendations” and asked for an update on its progress.
Rupa Huq
Labour MP Rupa Huq on Monday became the first politician calling for MasterChef to be taken off air.
The MP for Ealing Central and Acton told Radio 4’s Today Programme that continuing to run the show while Wallace is being investigated “sends the wrong message” and risks damaging the broadcaster’s reputation worldwide.
Ms Huq said: “I understand [MasterChef] is scheduled for 9pm today and it is all over the Christmas schedules but it seems to be not going away from the news. It’s number two on your bulletin.
“I think possibly there is an argument for pausing while this investigation takes its course and maybe not airing it tonight.”
She later welcomed his apology over his “ill-judged” remarks. But she added that the row was a wake up call for the industry. “More important than Masterchef airing, these kind of allegations of behaviourial impropriety in broadcasting must stop,” she said.
Harriet Harman
Labour peer Harriet Harman echoed Ms Huq’s remarks, saying the broadcaster should not continue to air MasterChef and dubbing Mr Wallace’s remarks “offensive and downright rude”.
"I don’t think the BBC should be airing these programmes, and he [Gregg Wallace] hasn’t actually apologised”, Baroness Harman told LBC.
"He’s done this kind of phoney apology, where he says, ‘I’m sorry if anybody’s offended.’ Actually, he should take it on board and acknowledge that he has been offensive, he has been downright rude, and it is not the job of presenters to trash a whole load of viewers who hitherto have enjoyed watching the programme.
“But I for one am not going to be watching it. And I think that it shows a bit of disrespect by the BBC. If they think this sort of semi apology means its alright for him to go on air, they’re misjudging what is really the right way to go about things now.”
Jess Phillips
The Home Office minister said that Mr Wallace had "missed the perfect opportunity to say nothing" in his response to an investigation being opened into his behaviour.
"I think that I’m going to go back to my mother’s best advice for Gregg Wallace at the moment ... that he missed the perfect opportunity to say nothing," the safeguarding minister told Times Radio.
She added that his comments in response to an inquiry being opened were "sexist, they were less than helpful, and they were less than helpful to him."
"I think that the investigation has to go ahead, but Gregg Wallace obviously has complete capability to apologise for anything that he sees fit in the meantime.
"Now, you know the allegations that have been made need to be looked into, but if they are found, then of course he should apologise and show that he’s going to change his behaviour if that’s the case."
She added that she was comfortable with MasterChef continuing to air.
"Gregg Wallace isn’t the only person on MasterChef, if it was just the Gregg Wallace show, then I could understand that you would immediately go, yeah, just take it off the air.
"But it is a launchpad for quite a lot of young chefs. It’s not for me to decide what the BBC chooses to air or not," she told BBC Breakfast.
