Gregg Wallace has been forced to apologise for saying that allegations that he had made inappropriate sexual comments had come from “middle-class women of a certain age”, after Downing Street called his explanation “inappropriate and misogynistic”.
The MasterChef presenter left the programme last week after 13 people came forward with historical allegations about his behaviour over a 17-year period. Several high-profile figures have also shared their experiences in recent days.
The 60-year-old faced further criticism after publishing a video on Instagram in which he claimed he could “see the complaints coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age, just from Celebrity MasterChef”.
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A spokesperson for 10 Downing Street said culture secretary Lisa Nandy had held talks with BBC bosses to discuss the row along with “wider workplace culture issues” and “to seek assurances that there are robust processes in place to deal with complaints”. The spokesperson called the video remarks “inappropriate and misogynistic”.
In a new video on Monday, Wallace said he wished “to apologise for any offence that I caused with my post yesterday and any upset I may have caused to a lot of people”.
“I wasn’t in a good headspace when I posted it; I’ve been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion, I felt very alone, under siege yesterday when I posted it,” said the presenter, whose lawyers say it is “entirely false” that he has engaged in “behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.
Wallace added: “It’s obvious to me I need to take some time out, now, while this investigation is underway. I hope you understand and I do hope you will accept this apology.”
Pressure was also mounting on the BBC, as Labour MP Rupa Huq, who sits on the cross-party culture committee, suggested that broadcasts of MasterChef should be paused while the claims are investigated, to “send a strong message that this kind of behaviour is not acceptable”.
There are also two MasterChef specials currently lined up for the BBC Christmas schedule.
Writing for The Independent, former BBC head of news Roger Mosey suggested that “managers in the BBC and in the production company Banijay must have known that there was a Wallace Problem”.
However, a BBC source said it would be wrong to state that the broadcaster had not acted on complaints that were raised.
BBC executive Kate Phillips raised concerns in 2017 that Wallace’s behaviour was “unacceptable and cannot continue” following a complaint by Celebrity MasterChef contestant Aasmah Mir, while the presenter received a further warning the following year over a complaint relating to the quiz show Impossible Celebrities, according to The Sunday Times.
Meanwhile, there were fresh claims from a former MasterChef contestant, who said the allegations against Wallace were merely the “tip of the iceberg” in what was a “really quite toxic environment” on the cooking show.
“There was a systemic problem that was larger than just him, in my view. Gregg ... would occasionally crack jokes that, in different ways, felt inappropriate, but he wasn’t the only one,” the unidentified former contestant told Sky News.
They added: “I think it’s good that these things are coming out, and I’m glad that people are speaking up – it’s brilliant. But I do think it’s the tip of the iceberg. I think if you were to really unravel and look at what was going on in that culture at large, you’d see a lot more, you know, abuse.”
“It certainly wasn’t everyone, but there were certainly people from all levels of the organisation,” the ex-contestant said, adding: “It was all men ... I don’t think I ever witnessed any of the women taking part in it.”
Production company Banijay UK has appointed law firm Lewis Silkin to lead an investigation into Wallace’s alleged behaviour.
Asked if MasterChef should be taken off air, Downing Street said the decision was for the BBC and Banijay, and that it is “right” that a thorough investigation is conducted.
New episodes of MasterChef: The Professionals will air on BBC One this week as planned.
The broadcaster said MasterChef “is life-changing for the chefs that take part and the show is about more than one individual”.
In a statement, the BBC added: “We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them. We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.
“Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company, we share any complaints or concerns with that company, and we will always support them when addressing them.
“It would be inappropriate for us to comment on anything that could form part of Banijay’s ongoing investigation or otherwise influence it.”
Additional reporting by PA
