The BBC is facing further criticism over its response to allegations against Gregg Wallace amid a furious backlash to the MasterChef host’s claim that accusations that he had made sexual comments to staff and guests had come from “middle-class women of a certain age”.
Wallace stepped back from the cooking show on Thursday as a string of allegations emerged concerning the 60-year-old’s behaviour, including that he had made inappropriate sexual jokes, asked for the phone numbers of female members of production staff, and undressed in front of women.
Over the weekend, reports emerged that the BBC had been made aware of complaints as far back as 2017, while it was claimed that a letter had been sent to the broadcaster in 2022 stating that women had been made to feel “uncomfortable” in his presence.
Yesterday morning, Wallace responded to the accusations in a video posted on Instagram, claiming that they had come from “middle-class women of a certain age”, and declaring: “This isn’t right.” He added: “In 20 years, 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?”
His comments sparked a backlash on social media, with a host of famous faces, including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, David Baddiel and Kirstie Allsopp, also responding.
Fearnley-Whittingstall appeared on the BBC and said Wallace was “not wise” to make comments like these, adding: “At the moment he should probably be listening.” Allsopp – who met Wallace when they were filming a pilot for a TV show – described the former MasterChef presenter as “totally unprofessional”.
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