MasterChef Producers Appoint Law Firm for Gregg Wallace Misconduct Investigation

MasterChef’s production team has engaged a law firm, described as “rigorous,” to spearhead an inquiry into allegations of misconduct against presenter Gregg Wallace. This development follows a BBC News investigation that documented claims of inappropriate sexual comments and behaviour from 13 individuals who collaborated with Wallace on various programs spanning 17 years. The allegations were presented to Wallace’s representatives on Tuesday. By Thursday, Banijay UK, the production company behind MasterChef, announced that Wallace would temporarily cease his presenting duties during the investigation into the historical misconduct claims. Banijay further stated that the 60-year-old is “committed to fully co-operating throughout the process”. Lawyers representing Wallace assert that it is “entirely false” that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature. Regarding the selection of Lewis Silkin, a London-based law firm, a Banijay UK spokesperson commented that it is a “highly experienced specialist investigations team which has overseen a broad range of high-profile workplace investigations”. They continued, “Banijay UK has been impressed by the firm’s rigorous, in-depth, and impartial analysis and reporting,” adding, “All information will be handled sensitively, and names of those providing evidence to the team will be kept confidential.” In a statement issued on Thursday, Banijay UK, while announcing its investigation, stated: “This week the BBC received complaints from individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct while working with presenter Gregg Wallace on one of our shows.” That same evening, Wallace posted a video on Instagram, saying: “I would like to thank all the people getting in touch, reaching out and showing their support.” He added, “It’s good of you – thank you very much.” Veteran broadcaster Kirsty Wark, a Celebrity MasterChef contestant in 2011, was among the 13 individuals who spoke to the BBC regarding Wallace. Wark reported that on two separate occasions during early morning filming, Wallace recounted stories and jokes described as being of a “sexualised nature” in the presence of contestants and crew. A former MasterChef employee also informed BBC News that Wallace allegedly showed her topless photographs of himself and requested massages. Additionally, a former worker on the Channel 5 program Gregg Wallace’s Big Weekends claimed that Wallace expressed fascination with her dating women and inquired about the practicalities of such relationships. Further allegations reported to BBC News include: In the past year, the BBC collaborated with over 300 independent production companies, which collectively produced more than half of the BBC’s television hours. In its statement on Thursday, Banijay UK urged anyone wishing to voice concerns to come forward. A BBC spokesman commented: “We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.” The BBC also announced an independent review of its workplace culture last month. A spokesperson for Channel 5, the broadcaster of Big Weekends, stated: “We take any allegations of this nature extremely seriously.” They continued, “We have asked the production company to look into these historical claims. The health and wellbeing of everyone involved in our productions is very important to us and we want all of our productions to be safe and secure places for people to work.” Rumpus, the production company responsible for Big Weekends, affirmed: “We do not tolerate inappropriate behaviour on our productions.” They added, “Our comprehensive duty of care processes were in place during production of these series and any matters raised would have been investigated in accordance with these.”