BBC’s MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace has said accusations about him making sexual comments towards staff and guests have come from “middle-class women of a certain age”.
The 60-year-old responded to the allegations against him in a video posted on Instagram.
“I’ve been doing MasterChef for 20 years, amateur, celebrity and professional 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 said.
“Apparently now, I’m reading in the paper, there’s been 13 complaints in that time.”
He continued: “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.
“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?”
In the latest allegations, Wallace was accused of making lewd comments and asking for the personal phone numbers of female production staff in a letter a producer and director claimed to have sent to the BBC in 2022.
The letter, posted to Instagram by Dawn Elrick on her Shit Men In TV Have Said To Me account, collected a number of anonymous reports from people who alleged they “have experienced sexism and sexual harassment within the TV industry”.
It comes after it was announced that Wallace is to step away from the BBC cooking show while historical misconduct complaints are externally reviewed by MasterChef producer Banijay UK.
He also faces allegations of inappropriate sexual comments from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period, as reported by BBC News, which said it sent a letter to the TV star’s representatives earlier this week.
Wallace’s lawyers say “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.
In the letter Elrick claimed to have sent to the BBC in 2022, she wrote: “I have noticed a pattern of behaviour from one person whose name has been mentioned half a dozen times.
“In connection with lude (sic) comments being made to female production members, female production being made to feel uncomfortable about being asked for their personal numbers, being made to talk to the talent whilst the talent is topless and general unease in his company.
“Gregg Wallace is the name attached to these experiences.
“Additionally, it has been reported to us that these behaviours are not reserved for production staff.”
At the end, the letter claimed the actions “clearly fail to meet” the corporation’s sexual harassment and bullying standards and asked the BBC “what measures will be taken to make sure that this key talent is aware that these behaviours are unacceptable”.
Elrick added: “We do not need to stress how difficult/stressful/upsetting it is for women in production to be placed in a position where high-profile talent use their clout to make deeply uncomfortable remarks.
“Although these are not, as stressed above, not official complaints, it is the number that have come forward about this one person that has prompted this letter.
“We tend to err on the side of believing these stories as there is absolutely no gain to be made from making them up.”
It concluded by saying that some of those affected would be willing to come forward if asked.
Elrick told The Observer newspaper she had received the allegations against Wallace via her Instagram account, and said the letter had been submitted with the support of industry union Bectu.
She told the news outlet that, soon after sending the letter, she also submitted the allegations to the corporation via Navex Global, an external whistleblowing service.
Elrick said the BBC suggested each individual would have to make their own, direct complaint to the corporation.
She claimed she had received no further contact with regards to the report.
A BBC spokesman said: “If issues are raised with us, we have robust processes in place to deal with them swiftly and appropriately. We will always listen if people want to make us aware of something directly.
“It would be inappropriate for us to comment on anything that could form part of Banijay’s ongoing investigation or otherwise influence it.”
Wallace took to Instagram on Saturday evening with a cryptic post which read: “We are all different.”
Further accusations were levelled against the TV presenter on Friday in news outlets such as The Sun about other alleged behaviour.
Allegations were also raised by staff members about Wallace’s behaviour on Gregg Wallace’s Big Weekends to BBC News, with Channel 5 asking the programme’s production company, Rumpus Media, to look into the accusations.
Rumpus Media said: “We do not tolerate inappropriate behaviour on our productions.
“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.”
A statement about the historical allegations from Banijay UK read: “Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company Banijay UK, we feel that it is appropriate to conduct an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate.
“While this review is under way, Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef and is committed to fully co-operating throughout the process.
“Banijay UK’s duty of care to staff is always a priority and our expectations regarding behaviour are made clear to both cast and crew on all productions, with multiple ways of raising concerns, including anonymously, clearly promoted on set.
“Whilst these are historical allegations, incidences brought to our attention where these expectations are not met are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately.”
The statement added: “If anyone would like to talk to us or raise any issues or concerns, then they can contact [email protected] in confidence.”
It comes after the production company confirmed on Saturday that it has appointed law firm Lewis Silkin to lead an investigation into Wallace’s alleged behaviour.
