Gregg Wallace’s accusers criticize his remarks regarding misconduct allegations

Two of Gregg Wallace’s accusers have expressed disapproval of his response to allegations of historical misconduct, after he attributed them to a “handful of middle-class women of a certain age”. One accuser stated that his comments demonstrated he “clearly hasn’t learnt his lesson”, while another suggested he was mistakenly “seems to be saying he’s the victim of classism”. On Sunday, the presenter shared a video on Instagram, claiming there had been “13 complaints” from “over 4,000 contestants” he had worked with over 20 years on the BBC program MasterChef. Wallace stepped away from his role earlier this week following a BBC News investigation that brought to light allegations of inappropriate sexual comments and inappropriate behaviour against him. The investigation gathered testimonies from 13 individuals spanning various ages, who had been involved with five distinct television productions. Wallace’s lawyers have vehemently denied that he engages in sexually harassing behaviour, while the BBC affirmed its commitment to “always listen if people want to make us aware of something directly”. Earlier on Sunday, the 60-year-old informed his audience of more than 200,000 followers: “I’ve been doing MasterChef for 20 years – amateur, professional and Celebrity MasterChef – and I think in that time I have worked with over 4,000 contestants of all different ages, all different backgrounds, all walks of life.” He continued, “And apparently now, I’m reading in the paper, there’s been 13 complaints in that time.” Wallace then added, “Now, in the newspaper I can see the complaints coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age just from Celebrity MasterChef. This isn’t right.” He concluded his statement by asking: “In 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?” Additionally, Wallace reposted screenshots of supportive messages from individuals identifying as former contestants on the show or having worked with him. Anna, whose name is not her real one, was part of a group that lodged a complaint about Wallace in 2018 after working with him. In response to the Instagram video, she informed BBC News that she was “not surprised he’s trying to minimise and dismiss the people who have bravely come forward.” She further stated, “He clearly hasn’t learnt his lesson,” adding, “I’m interested to see what consequences he’ll finally be facing from the BBC and [MasterChef production company] Banijay UK for his behaviour towards women of all ages.” She concluded, “While they decide, maybe Gregg should use this time to reflect on and take some accountability for how he abused his position of power instead of adding flames to the fire on social media.” James, another accuser whose name has been changed, commented that Wallace’s video response “seems to be saying he’s the victim of classism.” He elaborated, “His humour isn’t typically working-class or prone to misinterpretation: from my perspective, its main purpose is to test boundaries, make other people (especially women) uncomfortable, and display his power within the room.” He also noted, “And it’s not just women who are offended – plenty of men are too, it’s just that far too few of them have the host called out on his bad behaviour.” A different woman, who had previously collaborated with Wallace but is not among the 13 individuals featured in the BBC News investigation, described the video as “so dismissive of the people that have come forward,” particularly younger women. She further remarked, “I don’t know what class and age have to do with it.” Actress Emma Kennedy, who secured victory on Celebrity MasterChef in 2012 and claims to have reported Wallace’s conduct at that time, asserted that “it doesn’t matter what the age of any woman is.” She further commented, “Playing the ‘they’re having a go at me because I’m working class’ card is ridiculous.” TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp recounted on BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend an incident with Wallace from several years prior, which she described as leaving her “so embarrassed” after he “made a reference to something [he and his partner] did in bed.” She characterized Wallace’s recent statements as “unacceptable,” elaborating: “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.” On Thursday, Banijay UK announced that Wallace would temporarily cease his presenting duties while allegations of historical misconduct undergo investigation. Banijay further stated that he is “committed to fully co-operating throughout the process.” This development occurred after BBC News dispatched a letter to Wallace’s representatives, detailing allegations gathered from 13 individuals over a 17-year span. Among these individuals was broadcaster Kirsty Wark, a Celebrity MasterChef contestant in 2011, who reported that he made “sexualised” jokes during filming. This situation arises as broadcasters and production companies encounter renewed scrutiny regarding their management of allegations concerning Wallace. Radio host Aasmah Mir reported that she first lodged a complaint with Banijay in 2017 concerning inappropriate comments Wallace allegedly uttered during the program’s filming. It is understood that she subsequently escalated her complaint to the BBC. The Sunday Times reported that in an internal email, BBC executive Kate Phillips, who currently oversees unscripted programs for the corporation, stated that his on-set behaviour was “unacceptable and cannot continue.” She further indicated that she would ensure she was “informed straight away” if additional allegations were brought against him. Mir later sent an email, copied to Phillips, which read: “This must not happen again to another woman.” Certain allegations against Wallace in the BBC News investigation pertain to incidents that occurred after 2017. Our investigation also uncovered another complaint from 2018, concerning a separate program titled Impossible Celebrities. A BBC inquiry conducted at that time concluded that his behaviour was “unacceptable and unprofessional,” resulting in a 90-minute discussion with Ms Phillips. Separately, The Observer reports that a letter detailing multiple claims of inappropriate behaviour by Gregg Wallace was sent to the BBC in 2022, though it did not lead to further investigation at that point. A BBC source commented on Sunday that “it would be wrong to report the BBC has done nothing if or when matters have been raised with us.” The source advised BBC News, “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.” On Saturday, Banijay UK disclosed its decision to appoint the “rigorous” law firm Lewis Silkin to spearhead an investigation into Wallace’s alleged misconduct.