Gregg Wallace ‘steps away’ from presenting MasterChef following allegations

Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role as presenter of MasterChef while an external review examines historical allegations of misconduct against him.

The 60-year-old is facing claims of inappropriate comments from 13 individuals spanning a 17-year period.

A statement from Shine TV/Banijay UK said:

“This week the BBC received complaints from individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct while working with presenter Gregg Wallace on one of our shows.

“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 BBC added: “We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.

“We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.

“Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company, we share any complaints or concerns with that company, and we will always support them when addressing them.”

One of the people speaking out is  former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark, who claimed that Wallace made “sexualised” jokes while she was on Celebrity MasterChef back in 2011.

Meanwhile, Rod Stewart took to Instagram to criticise how Wallace treated his wife Penny during the 2021 season, calling him a “tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully” and accusing him of humiliating her.

Wallace has been co-hosting MasterChef and its various spin-offs alongside John Torode since 2005.

The current series of MasterChef: The Professionals with Wallace will keep airing as planned.

The former greengrocer was the original presenter of the BBC show Saturday Kitchen in 2002 and has also featured on Eat Well for Less, Inside the Factory, Turn Back Time, and Supermarket Secrets.