The BBC is facing further criticism over its response to allegations against Gregg Wallace amid a furious backlash to the MasterChef host’s claim that accusations that he had made sexual comments to staff and guests had come from “middle-class women of a certain age”.
Wallace stepped back from the cooking show on Thursday as a string of allegations emerged concerning the 60-year-old’s behaviour, including that he had made inappropriate sexual jokes, asked for the phone numbers of female members of production staff, and undressed in front of women.
Over the weekend, reports emerged that the BBC was made aware of complaints as far back as 2017, while it was claimed that a letter had been sent to the broadcaster in 2022 stating that women had been made to feel “uncomfortable” in his presence.
On Sunday morning, Wallace responded to the accusations in a video posted on Instagram, claiming that they had come from “middle-class women of a certain age”, and declaring: “This isn’t right.”
He added: “In 20 years, over 20 years of television, can you imagine how many women, female contestants on MasterChef, have made sexual remarks, or sexual innuendo? Can you imagine?”
His comments sparked a backlash on social media, with a host of famous faces, including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, David Baddiel and Kirstie Allsopp, also responding.
Fearnley-Whittingstall appeared on the BBC and said Wallace was “not wise” to make comments like these, adding: “At the moment he should probably be listening.” Allsopp – who met Wallace when they were filming a pilot for a TV show – described the former MasterChef presenter as “totally unprofessional”.
Allsopp added: “That is unacceptable. Because he is essentially saying this is a class issue, and middle-class women don’t understand the type of things he says because he’s working-class. Well I’m sorry, but he’s doing an incredible disservice to men.”
A former MasterChef contestant, meanwhile, described the allegations as “the tip of the iceberg”.
Despite the complaints made, the BBC confirmed to The Independent that future episodes of MasterChef: The Professionals, in which Wallace appears, are still slated to air, while two Christmas specials are planned for the festive season.
A spokesperson told The Independent: “Right now, the plan is if it’s already been recorded, it will go out.”
Over the weekend, it emerged that BBC executive Kate Phillips had reportedly raised concerns as far back as 2017 about Wallace’s behaviour, saying it was “unacceptable and cannot continue”.
It came after the broadcaster received a complaint from former Celebrity MasterChef contestant Aasmah Mir, who said that Wallace had made inappropriate comments during filming.
Meanwhile, producer Georgia Harding, who worked on MasterChef between 2014 and 2015, alleged that the presenter had undressed in front of his colleagues and made “inappropriate sexual jokes” in front of staff and guests.
She said that despite the complaints, “nothing was done” and there was an “acceptance” regarding his on-set mannerisms.
Wallace was also accused of making lewd comments and asking for the personal phone numbers of female production staff in a letter that Dawn Elrick, a producer and director, claimed to have sent to the BBC in 2022.
Ms Elrick told The Observer that the letter had been submitted with the support of industry union Bectu, and added that she had also submitted the allegations to the corporation via Navex Global, an external whistleblowing service.
She claimed that the BBC had suggested each individual would have to make a separate, direct complaint to the corporation, and said she had had no further contact in relation to her report.
A BBC source said: “While we are not going to comment on individuals or any internal HR processes, particularly when there is an ongoing process in place being run by Banijay, who have the direct contractual relationship with Gregg Wallace, it would be wrong to report the BBC has done nothing if or when matters have been raised with us – not least because it is already being widely reported there were interventions in both 2017 and 2018, where action was taken.
“We continue to urge caution about pre-judging any of this, particularly the involvement of BBC staff members and any inference they have not acted appropriately.”
The Independent understands that Wallace is contracted by Banijay for MasterChef on a series-by-series basis, and that he will not be contracted for future series while the investigation is ongoing.
Wallace’s lawyers said: “It is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.”
Allegations were also raised by staff members about Wallace’s behaviour on Channel 5’s Gregg Wallace’s Big Weekends, with producer Rumpus Media saying it would be investigating allegations of “inappropriate behaviour”.
He faces allegations of inappropriate sexual comments from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period, as reported by BBC News, which said it had sent a letter to the TV star’s representatives earlier this week.