Gregg Wallace has been sacked by the BBC as co-host of MasterChef, following a spate of fresh allegations about his conduct behind the scenes of the popular cooking competition. He had already stepped down from hosting the show in November 2024, when initial reports of misconduct first came to light.
The news follows a wave of new claims - over 50 in total - submitted to the BBC since initial reports surfaced last year, including allegations of groping and indecent exposure.
Wallace has denied the most serious allegations, but he has acknowledged that some of his past language may have fallen short of professional standards.
The forthcoming report, commissioned by MasterChef production company Banijay and led by law firm Lewis Silkin, is expected to shed light on the broadcaster’s workplace culture. Ahead of its release, Wallace issued a five-page public statement, in which he claimed to have been ‘exonerated’ of the ‘most serious and sensational accusations’.
In the same statement, Wallace disclosed a recent autism diagnosis and criticised the BBC for a lack of support for his neurodiversity during his 21-year tenure. ‘My neurodiversity, now formally diagnosed as autism, was suspected and discussed by colleagues across countless seasons of MasterChef. Yet nothing was done to investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over twenty years. That failure is now being quietly buried.’
The former greengrocer-turned-TV-personality also attacked the BBC, accusing the broadcaster of ‘peddling baseless and sensationalised gossip.’
‘The BBC is choosing to allow BBC News to run with this uncorroborated tittle tattle in an attempt to get ahead of the Silkin’s summary report,’ he continues.
Among the fresh allegations are claims of inappropriate language and conduct spanning two decades, including from figures such as presenter Kirsty Wark, who recounted discomfort during her time on Celebrity MasterChef in 2011.
In response, Wallace expressed regret for aspects of his behaviour, stating: ‘Some of my humour and language, at times, was inappropriate. For that, I apologise without reservation. But I was never the caricature now being sold for clicks.’
The BBC has already moved to implement new recommendations from an independent culture review, published in April, designed to address concerns around workplace conduct and the influence of high-profile talent.
Banijay has confirmed that it will withhold comment until the Lewis Silkin report is published.
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