Shamed MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace is going through contemporary allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour after stepping down from internet hosting the hit BBC cooking present final week.
The previous greengrocer, 60, introduced he was stepping again from the present on Thursday after practically 20 years whereas allegations into alleged misconduct are investigated.
Wallace final week confronted accusations of inappropriate behaviour from 13 individuals, together with Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, over a 17-year interval throughout 5 exhibits from 2005 to 2022.
His attorneys say ‘it’s solely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature’.
Nonetheless, three extra girls have now come ahead to inform the BBC about their experiences with Wallace.
The most recent allegations embrace one lady who stated Wallace groped her, one other who claims he pressed his crotch in opposition to her whereas filming BBC present Eat Properly For Much less and a 3rd who alleged he flashed her in his dressing room.
It comes because the BBC stated right now it was pulling its MasterChef Christmas specials in a serious U-turn, having beforehand stated it could proceed airing all filmed episodes.
The BBC say they put the most recent allegations to Wallace on Saturday, however he has not responded. MailOnline has additionally contacted his representatives.
MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace is going through contemporary allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour
Gregg Wallace is pictured at his home in Kent shortly after stepping down from MasterChef final week
Amongst these to return ahead with contemporary allegations is Lisa, not her actual identify, who labored on BBC present Eat Properly for Much less in 2015. She advised the BBC Wallace ‘touched her inappropriately’ after they have been filming in a grocery store.
‘He brushed previous me on the checkout, and touched my bum along with his waist and penis and laughed and stated “oooh you preferred that did not you”,’ she stated.
‘It was the way in which he reacted, different individuals would’ve stated “oh I am sorry can I squeeze by” which might’ve been okay.’
Lisa additionally claims that she felt she needed to proceed working however was affected by the ‘disgusting’ act. She claims she raised it with a senior colleague however that nothing was ever completed.
Banijay say they don’t have any document of this incident being raised at RDF Tv, which produced Eat Properly For Much less.
A second lady claims that she got here throughout Wallace whereas working at an occasion in 2022.
The lady, referred to as Sarah, claims that Wallace requested her to take him to the automobile park on the finish of the occasion.
‘As we walked down, he began placing his arm round me, saying “go on, maintain my hand, do not you need to stand subsequent to me”,’ she advised the BBC.
‘It was completely out of the blue, and completely undesirable.’
The lady says they then went right into a carry the place he pulled her and others into a bunch hug.
‘When doing this, he put his hand on my backside and groped me. It made me really feel gross, it was horrible,’ she advised the BBC.
In the meantime, Anna, not her actual identify, labored on Masterchef in 2015 and claims she was referred to as to Wallace’s dressing room to repair his bow tie for an after work occasion.
The BBC has pulled its deliberate MasterChef Christmas specials amid a collection of allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behaviour in opposition to presenter Gregg Wallace (proper, pictured with co-host John Torode)
MasterChef: The Professionals is hosted by Gregg Wallace and Monica Galetti – with the most recent episode airing final night time
Wallace co-hosted MasterChef for 17 years alongside John Torode (left) – Wallace has unfollowed Torode on social media
Whereas fastening his bow tie, she claims he observed his trousers have been ‘partially lowered’.
‘His pubic hair was on present, the place you’ll be able to see the highest a part of his penis, and he was carrying no boxers beneath,’ she advised the BBC.
As an alternative of apologising, she claims Wallace ‘stared at me’ in what felt like a ‘energy play’, leaving her feeling ‘shocked’ and ’embarrassed’.
Anna claims she exited the room inside seconds and instantly talked about it to colleagues in manufacturing, who escalated it.
She says the manufacturing firm, Shine, supplied her the prospect to take it additional however she selected to not as a result of she was beginning out in her profession.
Anna says she needs she had stated one thing extra on the time.
Banijay, who personal Shine, say Anna was spoken to by senior producers at size, the place it was established the door was open through the incident and that she didn’t really feel ‘threatened’ at any level. Additionally they stated the BBC have been made conscious of the difficulty.
The allegations come after Wallace was dropped from the festive TV schedule after the BBC and Channel 5 cancelled episodes that includes him.
The BBC has pulled its deliberate two MasterChef Christmas specials, which featured celebrities together with The Needed singer Max George, Emmerdale actor Amy Walsh, actuality star Luca Bish and comic Shazia Mira.
The second, referred to as MasterChef Meets Strictly Festive Extravaganza, was on account of function Strictly Come Dancing’s Amy Dowden, Gorka Marquez, Kai Widdrington and Nancy Xu, with Motsi Mabuse setting a problem.
It’s understood the celebrities concerned are being spoken to concerning the causes behind the change in programming, and that no adjustments will likely be made to iPlayer content material.
The BBC beforehand stated it could proceed airing all filmed episodes of MasterChef, though the announcement right now seems to mark a serious U-turn.
However the company stated the superstar Christmas specials are ‘clearly a special sort of present’ because it justified its resolution to axe them.
It comes after the BBC was criticised for exhibiting a semi-final of the present collection of MasterChef: The Professionals regardless of the continued storm surrounding its co-host Wallace.
The allegations come after Walalce was dropped from the festive TV schedule after the BBC and Channel 5 cancelled episodes that includes him
Gregg Wallace posted on Instagram on Sunday hitting again on the allegations made in opposition to him – claiming they have been all from ‘middle-class girls of a sure age’
The superstar chef then apologised for ‘any offence I precipitated’ after his controversial feedback
In one other blow for Wallace, Channel 5 has eliminated Gregg Wallace’s Huge Weekends Away from its streaming platform My5 after complaints of the presenter’s inappropriate behaviour throughout his time filming the present.
He initially confronted claims from at the least 13 girls throughout 5 exhibits over a 17-year interval, who’ve accused him of inappropriate behaviour, together with roaming round on set bare with a sock on his penis, inappropriate jokes and groping crew members.
Different allegations embrace speaking brazenly about his intercourse life on set, together with particulars of intimate acts, flirting with crew members and asking youthful feminine colleagues for his or her numbers.
Now Channel 5 has additionally pulled deliberate repeats of Gregg Wallace’s Copenhagen Christmas Market and Gregg Wallace’s Lapland Christmas Journey from its festive schedule.
Allegations have been raised by workers members about Wallace’s behaviour on Channel 5′ s Gregg Wallace’s Huge Weekends throughout a BBC Information investigation, with producer Rumpus Media saying was investigating allegations of ‘inappropriate behaviour’.
One lady stated that whereas making Gregg Wallace’s Huge Weekends in 2019, he turned ‘fascinated’ by her relationships with girls and wished to know the ‘logistics’ of her intercourse life.
One other lady stated that whereas engaged on the Channel 5 programme on the identical time, Wallace’s dialog usually revolved round intercourse, together with spanking and domination.
A 3rd lady who labored on the present, who BBC Information referred to as Amanda, stated Wallace allegedly confirmed her images of a girl in her underwear whereas they have been travelling in a automobile collectively.
She additionally recalled how he allegedly took off his prime and stated ‘let me provide you with a trend present’ in entrance of her and a male colleague when making an attempt on outfits in his lodge room after filming had wrapped for the day.
Her colleague then left the room and she or he advised BBC Information: ‘It is bizarre to be alone in a room with a topless stranger.’
One other one that labored with him on Channel 5 journey present, claimed that he handled girls dismissively.
She advised The I: ‘I keep in mind him being actually unbelievably impolite and obnoxious by way of the whole shoot. He was extraordinarily impolite and misogynistic… He would dismiss instructions from the feminine producers.’
Channel 5 stated it took the allegations ‘extraordinarily severely’ and that the manufacturing firm Rumpus was wanting into the claims. Rumpus stated: ‘We don’t tolerate inappropriate behaviour on our productions.’
No less than 13 individuals have made a proper criticism in opposition to Wallace, whereas different celebrities and former contestants have additionally spoken about his alleged behaviour
Sykes (centre) right now claimed Gregg Wallace greeted her on set by asking if fashions eat, which she stated she discovered ‘unprofessional’
Gregg Wallace (pictured) final week stepped away from internet hosting the present after practically 20 years. His absence comes whereas allegations of inappropriate feedback he made in the direction of workers and superstar friends over 17 years are investigated
Additionally this afternoon the BBC bosses seemed to be reconsidering their stance on Wallace’s place.
‘MasterChef is life-changing for the cooks that participate and the present is about multiple particular person,’ a BBC supply had stated on Monday afternoon. And on Friday because the MasterChef specials have been unveiled, the BBC had promised ‘fireworks, nice Christmas banter and good meals.’
However in a dramatic U-turn the BBC not solely cancelled its MasterChef Christmas specials, but additionally the rerun of three episodes of Inside The Manufacturing unit, a present Wallace hosted till leaving beneath a cloud earlier this 12 months.
Wallace allegedly offended sure feminine workers members on the Nestlé UK manufacturing unit in York with feedback about their weight throughout a ‘pleasant’ dialog.
The feedback have been non-sexual however have been deemed ‘inappropriate’ and a criticism was lodged with Voltage TV, the manufacturing firm accountable for creating the present.
‘He was impolite in the direction of workers and continued to speak in a derogatory method, particularly to girls.
‘He was given a talking-to and was appalled that he had precipitated such offence,’ a supply stated.
Voltage TV requested Wallace to reasonable his language and filming continued – however his behaviour seemingly did not change.
Wallace pictured in February final 12 months after being made an MBE at Windsor Fort
Workers reportedly knowledgeable administration that they didn’t need the present to return whereas Wallace remained on the helm.
A supply stated: ‘He felt that he was simply making an attempt to be pleasant however now not knew what the suitable factor to say was any extra and determined to go away.’
A Nestlé insider advised The Occasions: ‘He is available in cracking jokes however is from a really totally different world to our employees.’
The present featured Wallace alongside Cherry Healey and noticed the pair discover manufacturing unit flooring throughout Britain to get a more in-depth have a look at manufacturing traces.
The episodes have been on account of air on December 11, 17 and 18 on BBC Two.
Celebrities together with actress Emma Kennedy, former Newsnight host Katie Wark and even Sir Rod Stewart have spoken out about alleged sexual behaviour and ‘bullying’.
Immediately, Melanie Sykes stated Wallace was the explanation she left her TV profession behind, whereas Vanessa Feltz alleged he had advised a lewd intercourse story about his spouse in a BBC carry.
Sykes stated she made an off-the-cuff criticism in opposition to Wallace, and claimed she discovered conduct on the MasterChef set ‘jaw-dropping’.
And broadcaster Vanessa Feltz claimed he had described a intercourse act he had carried out on his spouse whereas in a BBC carry along with her pal.
Talking on her YouTube channel, she stated: ‘My pal didn’t know Greg Wallace. Had by no means met him earlier than, and within the carry was a younger woman who labored on one other present.
‘So the three of them have been going up within the carry collectively and fully unprompted Greg Wallace described a intercourse act that he had carried out on his then-wife that morning.
‘So my pal had not met Greg Wallace earlier than, hadn’t requested him about his intercourse life. Was merely taking him to take part in a BBC programme, and the younger woman within the carry was simply an harmless passenger.
‘So that is one thing {that a} very shut pal and affiliate of mine advised me about on the time.
‘What did anybody do about it? After all, completely nothing.’
It follows ongoing backlash after Wallace took to Instagram on Sunday with a livid rant by which he accused the allegations of being made by a handful of ‘middle-class girls of a sure age’.
Wallace issued an apology on Monday for any ‘offence’ or ‘upset’ he precipitated along with his assertion over the weekend, saying: ‘I wasn’t in a very good headspace once I posted it, I have been beneath an enormous quantity of stress, a number of emotion, I felt very alone, beneath siege yesterday once I posted it.’
Wallace give up BBC present Inside The Manufacturing unit in March final 12 months after allegations that he had been ‘impolite in the direction of workers’ and spoke to them in a ‘derogatory method, particularly to girls’
He added: ‘It is apparent to me I must take a while out now whereas this investigation is beneath manner. I hope you perceive and I do hope you’ll settle for this apology.’
His apology got here after it sparked a backlash, with Downing Road saying his response to the accusations was ‘inappropriate and misogynistic’.
Others have branded the video a ‘basic’ non-apology.
The presenter, 60, apologised after his controversial feedback on Instagram over the weekend precipitated one other PR storm, blaming ‘an enormous quantity of stress’ and ‘a number of emotion’ for the error.
The U-turn got here hours after an insider advised MailOnline he had ‘gone rogue’ and was ignoring ‘all recommendation’ about easy methods to salvage his TV profession following the scandal.
Wallace, who has stepped again from the BBC‘s MasterChef whereas allegations into alleged sexual misconduct are investigated, stated: ‘I need to apologise for any offence that I precipitated with my put up yesterday and any upset I’ve precipitated to lots of people’.
TV psychologist Jo Hemmings stated: ‘When is an apology, not an apology? Gregg Wallace backtracking on his misogyny to salvage his profession, however no regrets about his long-term inappropriate behaviour’.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman stated on Monday, when requested if the cookery present must be pulled off air, that the choice was for the BBC and the present’s manufacturing firm and reiterated that Downing Road believes it’s ‘proper’ {that a} thorough investigation is performed.
Downing Road additionally stated that the TV star’s response to the accusations being made in opposition to him was ‘inappropriate and misogynistic’ and confirmed that Tradition Secretary Lisa Nandy held talks with BBC bosses within the wake of the Wallace row.
A BBC spokesperson stated: ‘As we have now stated, MasterChef is a tremendous competitors which is life-changing for the cooks collaborating and the present collection of MasterChef: The Professionals is continuous as deliberate.
‘The superstar Christmas specials are clearly a special sort of present and within the present circumstances we have now determined to not broadcast them.’
