Gregg Wallace’s Ghostwriter Alleges Sexual Harassment

Shannon Kyle, who served as the ghostwriter for Gregg Wallace’s 2012 autobiography, has accused him of sexual harassment. Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Kyle stated that the MasterChef presenter opened the door clad only in a towel, which he subsequently let fall. She further alleged that he directed “revolting” and “sickening” sexualised comments towards her and engaged in inappropriate physical contact. At the time, Kyle, then 35 years old, was authoring Wallace’s memoir titled Life On A Plate. Wallace’s legal representatives issued a statement asserting: “Our client has denied that he has engaged in any such behaviour, and he specifically denies any sexual misconduct with Ms Kyle.” Readers should be aware that this report includes explicit accounts of alleged sexual harassment. Kyle asserted that Wallace divulged explicit information about his personal sex life during their collaboration on the book from May to August 2012. The now 47-year-old also claims that Wallace inappropriately touched her thigh while she was in the passenger seat of his sports car and touched her bottom following his appearance at the Good Food Show in Birmingham. Kyle stated her decision to come forward was to draw attention to what she characterized as Wallace’s “predatory” conduct. Newsnight presented these new allegations to Wallace’s representatives on Tuesday. The presenter’s legal team has vehemently denied that he engages in sexually harassing behaviour. This development coincides with The Sun’s publication of additional allegations, reporting that executives on Strictly Come Dancing were informed of alleged inappropriate behaviour by Wallace during his participation in the show in 2014. As per the newspaper, a minimum of one staff member voiced concerns regarding the 60-year-old, who was eliminated after the initial week. Furthermore, video footage from one of Wallace’s training sessions with dance partner Aliona Vilani has recently re-emerged, depicting him informing her that he had not worn underwear for years and grasping his crotch. A spokesperson for the BBC commented: “Whilst we do not comment on individuals, we take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.” In the previous week, Banijay UK, the production company responsible for the BBC program, declared that Wallace would be “stepping away from his role on MasterChef” subsequent to complaints from individuals concerning past allegations of misconduct. This announcement came after a BBC News investigation that gathered testimonies from 13 individuals, of various ages and across five distinct programs, who made claims regarding inappropriate sexual remarks. Since then, additional women have presented further accusations against the television host. Banijay UK has initiated an “immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate” and stated that Wallace is “committed to fully cooperating throughout the process”. Kyle recounted that upon commencing work with Wallace on the book: “The first interview we did was pretty straightforward, and then we agreed to meet whenever he was available.” Kyle, an author of many books, claims that during the “second or third interview,” conducted at his restaurant around 8 am to accommodate Wallace’s “very busy schedule filming,” he “started to talk about his love life.” Kyle stated: “He was dating lots of different women. And he started telling me about these dates, who the women were, where he met them. And then in very graphic details, what sexual acts they had done together.” She added: “He talked about spanking a lot. He also talked about one of his girlfriends on all fours in front of a mirror. He talked in incredibly sexual detail, which at the time it was just so shocking because it was completely unnecessary for the book.” She recounted that on a particular occasion, a meeting was scheduled at Wallace’s flat, where he answered the door “completely naked, except for a towel around his waist.” Wallace, she alleges, explained he had just returned from the gym and showered, assuring her it was fine to enter the living room. Kyle stated she asked Wallace: “Look, can you just go and get dressed?” She then sat on the sofa to wait for him. Wallace subsequently reappeared in the towel and, she claims, mentioned his trousers were folded behind the cushion she was sitting near. “Then I kind of looked up and then he dropped the towel,” she recounted. When Newsnight inquired if the towel dropping might have been accidental, Ms Kyle responded, “definitely not.” She expressed: “I felt quite vulnerable because I’m on my own in a flat with a man. He’s naked.” Kyle, a single parent at that time, had executed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) prior to commencing the project. The NDA stipulated that the “writer understands that Wallace enjoys a high public profile and her obligations to him of loyalty and confidentiality are therefore of particular significance.” She stated: “I was worried about losing the job,” adding, “because I’d given up all the work for this job. So I thought to myself… I’m just going to try and navigate this, [I’ll] just try and push on through.” She concluded: “It was just really revolting.” During a separate meeting for the book, Kyle reported that, over a restaurant meal, the TV presenter uttered additional sexualised remarks, such as: “If you won’t let me sleep with you, would you lick my [anus]?” She also recalled another comment made while she was consuming dessert: “What would you think if I put some of the Eton Mess you’re eating on my willy, then?” Kyle characterized these comments as “sickening… obscene. It was, you know, obviously designed to cause discomfort of some sort.” On a different occasion, as they concluded an interview at his flat and were saying goodbye, Wallace initiated a “really big hug,” she stated. “His face was just right next to mine… I just completely froze.” She claims Wallace then whispered into her ear: “Just give me a little kiss. Just a little one.” Kyle recounted that she then “paused” and “he either let go or I kind of pushed him off a little bit. And, and then I just really quickly wanted to get away.” She reported leaving “in tears.” The occurrence at the flat was not the sole instance Kyle reported experiencing inappropriate behaviour and harassment from Wallace. On another distinct occasion, she alleges that after being picked up in his sports car en route to an interview, he inappropriately touched her thigh and around her knee while shifting gears. Kyle stated that this action caused her to move away, and she instructed him to cease. She claims that following the interview at a restaurant