BBC axes MasterChef Christmas specials as fresh Gregg Wallace claims emerge
Despite saying on Monday that all scheduled MasterChef episodes would be broadcast as planned, the BBC has now decided to pull its Christmas specials. ITV News' Sejal Karia reports
MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace is facing fresh allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour after more women reportedly came forward since he stepped down from the show.
It comes as the BBC said it was pulling the MasterChef Christmas specials due to "current circumstances".
On Tuesday, BBC News reported that two women have accused the 60-year-old of "inappropriate sexual touching".
One woman claims he touched her bottom at an event, and another, who worked on a different BBC show - Eat Well For Less - says he pressed his crotch against her.
A further woman, who worked on MasterChef in 2015, reportedly claims she was called to his dressing room to fix his bow tie and noticed his trousers were "partially lowered".
Wallace has not yet responded to these latest allegations. His lawyers have previously strongly denied he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.
A BBC spokesperson said: “As we have said, MasterChef is an amazing competition which is life-changing for the chefs taking part and the current series of MasterChef: The Professionals is continuing as planned.”
It comes after the BBC earlier confirmed it was pulling its MasterChef Christmas specials following a growing scandal over allegations against Wallace.
The decision represents a change in stance from the corporation, which said on Monday that all MasterChef episodes filmed would be aired as planned, including the festive edition.
The presenter faces allegations from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period, as reported by BBC News on Thursday, with many others since sharing their experiences.
Wallace apologised on Monday for claiming complaints about his behaviour came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”, adding he will now “take some time out”.
Downing Street said Wallace's comments on Sunday, defending his actions amid the misconduct allegations, were "completely inappropriate and misogynistic".
The BBC's decision comes as former presenter Melanie Sykes confirmed she made an informal complaint against Wallace after her time on MasterChef.
She said she didn't want to make a formal complaint because she would spend her "whole time in litigation".
In a YouTube video posted on Monday, she said: "Every time Gregg came over to the desk, I didn't really like him being around really, because it's all about vibrations and energy."
In her 2023 autobiography titled Illuminated: Autism & All The Things I’ve Left Unsaid, Sykes also claimed she quit her TV career after her MasterChef experience.
Other female colleagues who worked on the show have also come forward and recounted uncomfortable encounters with Wallace.
Chef Jackie Kearney, who has appeared several times as a guest judge on the show, told This Morning she cried after Wallace said something that made her uncomfortable.
She said while on the production floor, she offered Wallace a copy of her new book to which he made a sexual remark.
Kearney said Wallace had a microphone on and thought other production members had heard it, and she was shocked that no one else had intervened.
She said: "After I'd scuttled off to the toilets and had a bit of a cry and got myself together... so when I came out of the toilet I was even more shocked because nobody said anything."
"Why wasn't someone saying anything?"
When asked if the series should be taken off air, Labour MP Jess Phillips said: "It's not for me to say what the BBC should put on".
Speaking to ITV News, she said: "The reshooting episodes of MasterChef would mean that the people would have to redo the competition.
"So I'm loathed to say, if somebody's just won, you know, made an amazing lava cake and has to reshoot it, what if they didn't do as well the next time?"
She added that there is "absolutely a problem" with improper reporting mechanisms for sexual harassment in the workplace and said "everybody has a duty to prevent it".
"It's not for me to say what the BBC should put on"
In a video posted on Instagram on Monday, Wallace said: “I want to apologise for any offence that I caused with my post yesterday and any upset I may have caused to a lot of people.
“I wasn’t in a good headspace when I posted it, I’ve been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion, I felt very alone, under siege yesterday when I posted it."
He added that he needed to "take some time out" while the investigation is underway.
"I wasn't in a good headspace when I posted it"
The prime minister’s official spokesman said on Monday: “The Culture Secretary spoke with the BBC leadership at the end of last week on this matter and wider workplace culture issues to seek assurances that there are robust processes in place to deal with complaints.
“Clearly the comments we have seen from the individual over the weekend were completely inappropriate and misogynistic.
“More broadly the BBC is conducting an independent review into workplace culture which must deliver clear and timely recommendations. It’s essential that staff and the wider public have confidence that the BBC takes these issues seriously.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has since held talks with BBC bosses in the wake of the Wallace investigation.
New episodes of MasterChef: The Professionals, in which Wallace is a judge, will air on BBC One on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with the current series airing as planned.
“MasterChef is life-changing for the chefs that take part and the show is about more than one individual,” a BBC spokesman said.
Among the complainants was former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark who told BBC News on two occasions Wallace relayed stories and jokes of a “sexualised nature” in front of contestants and crew when she competed on Celebrity MasterChef in 2011.
Scottish TV presenter Aggie MacKenzie, who competed on the same series, told Good Morning Britain: “Yes I agree with everything Kirsty says, those jokes weren’t actually directed at me, but the jokes were always smutty, they were endless.
“It was as if Gregg was some sort of dinosaur who just can’t read the room, and seemed to be allowed to carry on in this way.”
Addressing Wallace’s response to the accusations, the 69-year-old added: “This illustrates how he just has no insight or understanding of how he behaves. He just doesn’t get it.
“He’s been allowed to carry on in his own sweet way for many, many years.”
The head of the Bectu union, which represents 4,000 employees in the creative industry, said "a lack of accountability and an industry that enables extreme power dynamics and ‘untouchable’ talent."
Philippa Childs said: “Reports that the BBC previously internally investigated complaints about Wallace and concluded that aspects of his behaviour were unacceptable are deeply troubling – is it any wonder that film and TV freelancers, many of them worrying about their next job, think twice about sticking their head above the parapet?"
Ms Childs said the industry should accept their "internal reporting mechanisms are inadequate" and called for broadcasters to give their support to the newly-established Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority.
Banijay UK, the company that makes MasterChef, on Saturday said it had appointed Lewis Silkin to lead an investigation.
A spokesperson for Lewis Silkin said: “We can confirm that our highly experienced investigations team has been appointed by Banijay UK to conduct an external investigation relating to the television presenter Gregg Wallace.
"We will not be commenting further. If anyone has information to share, they can email banijayinvestigation@lewissilkin.com."
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