TV star Gregg Wallace, who stepped back from presenting BBC MasterChef last week, is facing fresh allegations of inappropriately touching women.
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, according to BBC News. The publication spoke to a third woman, who claimed Wallace’s trousers were ‘partially lowered’ when she visited his dressing room.
Banijay UK, the producers of MasterChef, previously said Wallace is ‘committed to fully cooperating’ with the external review while his lawyers have previously strongly denied ‘he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature’, according to BBC News.
BBC News reported that Wallace allegedly pressed his crotch against the bottom of a woman working on the BBC show Eat Well For Less during filming in a supermarket in 2015.
‘He brushed past me at the checkout, and touched my bum with his waist and penis and laughed and said “oooh you liked that didn’t you”,’ Lisa, not her real name, told BBC.
She added it felt ‘slimy, disgusting’ and that she felt ‘uncomfortable’. She claims it was raised with a more senior colleague but nothing was done.
A second woman, Anna, not her real name, who worked on MasterChef in 2015 said she was called to Wallace’s dressing room to fix his bow tie for an after work event.
She alleges Wallace trousers were partially lowered, but she didn’t see how this happened.
‘His pubic hair was on show, where you can see the top part of his penis, and he was wearing no boxers underneath,’ Anna said. Anna claimed Wallace stared at her, and said it felt like a ‘power play’. ‘I was shocked, I felt embarrassed by the whole thing.’ She said that she told colleagues who escalated it, and the production company offered her the chance to take things further, but she declined.
‘I didn’t want to be seen to be making a fuss, especially early in my career, whereas now, I have way more boundaries of what I will or won’t do,’ she said.
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Banijay, who own Shine, say senior producers spoke extensively to Anna, and established that the door was open during the incident. They said Anna said she did not feel ‘threatened’ at any point.
He allegedly touched the bottom of another woman during a group hug in a lift in 2022.
‘When doing this, he put his hand on my bottom and groped me. It made me feel gross, it was horrible,’ said a woman, who the BBC are calling Sarah.
Sarah said she ‘can’t bear’ to watch him on TV since the incident. ‘I feel sad that so many people are coming forward, but also glad people are speaking up,’ she added.
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘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.’
The BBC said it would be ‘inappropriate’ to comment amid the external review by Banijay UK.
On Tuesday, two hour-long MasterChef Christmas specials were pulled from the BBC’s festive schedule after Wallace stepped away from hosting the cooking show.
On the decision to scrap Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off and a Strictly Festive Extravaganza but air the remainder of MasterChef: The Professionals, a BBC spokesperson said: ‘As we have said, MasterChef is an amazing competition which is life-changing for the chefs taking part and the current series of MasterChef: The Professionals is continuing as planned.
‘The celebrity Christmas specials are obviously a different type of show and in the current circumstances we have decided not to broadcast them.’
Wallace, 60, apologised on Monday for claiming complaints about his behaviour came from ‘a handful of middle-class women of a certain age’, adding he will now ‘take some time out’.
The new allegations against Wallace published by BBC News on Tuesday come after the outlet reported claims from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period.
Last Thursday, it was announced that Wallace would be stepping away from hit BBC cooking show MasterChef while historical misconduct complaints are externally reviewed by the producer Banijay UK.
A spokesperson from the production company said: ‘Banijay UK takes this matter incredibly seriously but while the external investigation is ongoing, we won’t be commenting on individual allegations.
‘It is important to note, that MasterChef welfare processes are regularly adapted and strengthened, and there are clear protocols to support both crew and contributors.
‘These include multiple ways of reporting issues, including anonymously. HR contact details are promoted and contributors are assigned a point of contact on set available to discuss any issues or concerns.’
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 prejudging any of this, particularly the involvement of BBC staff members and any inference they have not acted appropriately.’
Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off, hosted by Wallace and John Torode, was to see celebrities competing for the glittery Golden Whisk Trophy.
Three episodes of BBC Two’s Inside The Factory, which are repeats, are also coming out of the schedule, the BBC said.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said on Monday, when asked if the cookery show should be pulled off air, that the decision was for the BBC and the show’s production company, and reiterated that Downing Street believes it is ‘right’ that a thorough investigation is conducted.
Downing Street also said the TV star’s response to the accusations being made against him was ‘inappropriate and misogynistic’, and confirmed that Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy held talks with BBC bosses in the wake of the Wallace row.
In a video posted on Instagram, Wallace said on Monday: ‘I want 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.
‘It’s obvious to me I need to take some time out, now, while this investigation is under way. I hope you understand and I do hope you will accept this apology.’
Wallace’s lawyers were previously quoted by BBC News as saying ‘it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature’.
Metro has contacted BBC, Banijay UK, and Gregg Wallace’s representatives for comment.
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