Gregg Wallace has denied making “inappropriate” comments prior to his recent exit from the BBC Two series, Inside the Factory.
Wallace quit his role fronting the series in March after serving as presenter for seven seasons, stating that he wanted to spend more time with his three-year-old son Sid who is non-verbal.
However, The Times later reported that an incident while filming at a Nestlé factory in York had played a factor in his decision to quit.
A source close to the situation said: “He was rude towards staff and continued to talk in a derogatory manner, especially to women.”
During an appearance on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday (15 August), the MasterChef presenter denied the allegations; however, admitting that there was an argument on set.
“There was an argument in Inside The Factory. The reporting isn’t accurate. There was an issue and I thought that was the perfect time to come out,” he said.
“Offending people? No, no. If you look at the headlines you can’t see a story that matches those headlines. But there was an issue; I don’t want to discuss what the issue was.”
“But I thought it was a good time – Mum needs help with [son] Sid at home, running around the country going to those factories – I thought it was a good time to give something up.”
Gregg Wallace in ‘Inside the Factory’— (BBC/Voltage TV)
The Times reported at the time that a complaint had been lodged to production company Voltage TV, which requested that Wallace moderate his language in the future.
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Nestlé UK said that the company has been “proud to host Inside the Factory on five occasions since the series began.
“We have one more episode filmed… and would be open to participating in future episodes or similar projects.”
In his initial announcement, Wallace said: “As viewers know, to say I find the inside of factories fascinating is an understatement. I’ve never failed to be amazed by the scale of production, whether it’s conveyor belts full of tiny sweets or a double decker bus rolling out of the factory for the very first time.
“For me, filming the show alongside my other TV and family commitments has always been a balance and as my son Sid’s needs become more challenging, I’ve decided the time has come to hang up my hairnet.
“We’ve already filmed 12 future episodes so viewers can see me enjoying lots more factories in my hi-viz jacket for a while to come yet.”
