Ulrika Jonsson has claimed Gregg Wallace “made a rape joke” on the set of Celebrity Masterchef when she took part in 2017.
The TV star, 60, stepped down from fronting the BBC TV cooking show on Thursday after almost 20 years following allegations of historic misconduct.
Several people have now come forward with claims about Wallace, including Jonsson.
The former weather presenter claims that the alleged remarks were made to another female contestant who became "really distressed" and walked off the set.
Jonsson discovered what had been said when she went to check on if the person was okay.
She claimed: "She then told us that Gregg Wallace had made a rape joke. She was really distressed about it.”
The contestant then retold the joke to Jonsson, before going off to speak to a producer about the incident.
“They then went off to speak to Gregg,” she said. “After a while he came up…and he apologised.”
“He could hardly get his words out... He was apologising, and he had tears in his eyes."
The former Gladiators star said that in her opinion, Wallace should not have told the joke in the first place.
The incident is said to have been handled by managers on set, who did not report it to bosses at production company Banijay.
The Standard has contacted a representative for Wallace for comment.
A series of people have come forward with historical complaints about Wallace over the past 24 hours, both on and off the record, including broadcaster Kirsty Wark, of making inappropriate sexual comments.
Music icon Sir Rod Stewart also launched a furious at Wallace online, branding him a “tubby bully” and accusing him of ‘humiliating' wife Penny Lancaster when she appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021.
Wallace’s lawyers have said it is entirely false that he engages in sexually harassing behaviour.
A statement from the show’s production company Banijay UK said Wallace is “committed to fully cooperating throughout the process”
Despite the swirling storm around him, Wallace appeared in good spirits and was pictured smiling outside his Kent home on the day the news broke.
