Richard Osman has apologised for defending Gregg Wallace ahead of allegations against the MasterChef host.
The TV presenter and Thursday Murder Club author issued the apology after discussing the MasterChef scandal, which has seen Wallace at the centre of an investigation into claims of inappropriate comments.
Since news broke of the investigation, several stars to have appeared on Celebrity MasterChef, including former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark, have hit out at the host for alleged remarks they heard when they were filming episodes – with comedian Katy Brand addressing being subjected to a “crass” comment made by the former host that went viral online soon after.
Osman kicked off the latest episode of The Rest is Entertainment podcast by saying: ’If I can start with a Mea culpa, because a while ago we talked about him, because he had that boring day in a life, and I stuck up for him because I think being boring is fine.
“Also, I did ask around, and any show he’s ever been on that I’ve been involved with, everyone had nice things to say about him. So I was like, oh no, absolutely, it’s fine.”
Osman was referencing an article published by The Telegraph earlier this year in which Wallace revealed how he usually spends a day in his life. It led to the host being mocked online, which is what caused Osman to defend the host.
However, in the wake of the allegations, Osman backtracked on his comments, telling his co-host Marina Hyde: “You think, God, you must always be so careful. I did think, oh, he’s just a big personality, and I hadn’t heard stuff. But now, listen, I definitively understand, I have heard stuff. I apologise for that.”
Last week, Banijay UK, the production company behind MasterChef, announced that Wallace would be “stepping away” from his role on the BBC show following complaints from individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct.
On Tuesday (3 December), Wallace faced fresh allegations with BBC News reporting that one woman said he touched her bottom after an event and another said he pressed his crotch against her while filming on a different show.
The new allegations came after the outlet reported claims from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period, with many others sharing their experiences.
BBC News reported that his lawyers strongly denied “he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.
A BBC spokesperson previously said the corporation takes any issues that are raised with it “seriously” and is clear that “any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated”. The broadcaster added that it would be “inappropriate” to comment amid the external review by Banijay UK.
