December 1st 2024.
There has been a lot of talk lately about MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace and his alleged inappropriate behavior that took place a few years ago. According to reports, concerns were brought up about his behavior on a BBC show, but it seems like those concerns were ignored at the time.
As a result, Wallace has decided to step away from the show as these historical allegations are now being investigated. It's been said that he has been accused of making sexual jokes, asking for the phone numbers of female production staff, and even undressing in front of and standing too close to women who worked on his shows. It's also been claimed that he has mimicked sex acts and has walked around the studio almost completely naked. This has caused stars such as Kirstie Allsopp and Ulrika Jonsson to speak out about their own experiences with him.
On top of that, there have been further allegations stating that he has groped three women in separate incidents that took place both on and off set. One former producer, who worked on MasterChef and another BBC program, has come forward and said that she did raise concerns about Wallace's behavior, but they were ignored. She explained that he would often undress in front of his colleagues and make inappropriate sexual jokes, but it seemed like everyone just accepted it and nothing was done about it.
Georgia Harding, who worked on the cooking competition between 2014 and 2015, also spoke up about her own experiences with Wallace. She stated that he would often get too close to some of the contestants on set and even change his clothes there, despite having a dressing room. She also mentioned that he would frequently talk about sex and show off his muscles, which made her and others feel uncomfortable.
Another woman, who chose to remain anonymous, also shared her story about Wallace and claimed that he was too close to her on set and would make inappropriate comments about sex. She also alleged that he once told her and others that they should be laughing at his jokes because he was the "talent."
Wallace has since addressed these allegations in a series of Instagram videos. He stated that in his 20 years of working on MasterChef, he has come across over 4,000 contestants of all ages and backgrounds, and yet there have only been 13 complaints. He also mentioned that these complaints seem to be coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age who were on Celebrity MasterChef, which he believes is not right.
This all comes after BBC executive Kate Phillips expressed her concerns about Wallace's behavior, stating that it was unacceptable and could not continue. This came after broadcaster and former Celebrity MasterChef contestant Aasmah Mir complained about his inappropriate comments during filming. It was also reported that he received a warning the following year after another complaint was made about his behavior on the quiz show Impossible Celebrities.
In 2022, a letter was sent to the BBC from producer and director Dawn Elrick, accusing Wallace of making lewd comments and asking for the personal phone numbers of female production staff. She claimed that she received multiple reports of his inappropriate behavior and even asked to speak to him while he was shirtless. However, when she reported these allegations, the BBC suggested that each individual should make their own complaint directly to the corporation.
Wallace's lawyers have denied these allegations, stating that he does not engage in any behavior of a sexually harassing nature. The BBC has also stated that they have robust processes in place to deal with complaints and will always listen if someone wants to make them aware of something directly.
Since then, there have been more accusations made against Wallace, including ones from former contestants and staff members on other shows he has worked on. An investigation is currently underway, and we are waiting for the BBC to comment on the situation. If you have a story to share, please get in touch with our entertainment team. We would love to hear from you.
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