Celebrity Masterchef contestant Melanie Sykes has criticised the TV industry in the wake of the allegations made about host Gregg Wallace, saying it is up to bosses to act on unprofessional behaviour and not let one person be a “scapegoat”.
The former TV presenter and broadcaster, who rose to fame on shows including The Big Breakfast and Today With Des And Mel in the 1990s and 2000s, appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021.
She wrote about her experience on the show in her autobiography Illuminated, released in 2023, and how she decided to walk away from show business afterwards.
Image: Pic: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
In a new clip shared on her YouTube channel, Sykes said she complained after appearing on the show, but did not want to make it formal.
Wallace, 60, faces allegations from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period, with many others sharing their experiences in the wake of the initial claims.
He has temporarily stepped down from the BBC cooking show while historical misconduct complaints are externally reviewed by producers Banijay UK. His lawyers say “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.
Sykes, 54, said she wanted to speak out to let people know what the industry is like. “Every time Gregg came over to the desk, I didn’t like him being around, really,” she said. “Because it’s all about vibrations and energy.”
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1:32
‘If it’s just banter then why am I crying in the toilet?’
‘Stop letting one person be a scapegoat’
Sykes, who also appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2014, said the MasterChef production company was at fault “because they facilitate… what’s the word? It’s just unprofessionalism, really.
“I’ve seen unprofessionalism in many areas of that f****** industry and I’ve not exposed all and everything because I just don’t want to, it’s just so toxic, and I can’t…
“Stop letting one person be a scapegoat, which is the so-called talent, because that’s what they call you, is the one that has to carry the can all the time.
“If I had somebody misbehaving or acting unprofessionally on my production, let me tell you, they wouldn’t be on my production. I wouldn’t tolerate it. I don’t care who it is.”
Sykes said she believes alleged unprofessional behaviour is allowed to continue because “people think, well, you know, we can’t get rid of him really, because it’s such a successful show”.
She added: “I complained afterwards. I said I didn’t want to make a formal complaint because honestly, I’d spend my whole time in litigation if I did that. And I think that’s one of the reasons why people don’t go for it.”
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Stephen Fry on Wallace allegations
‘It’s not about wokeness’
Meanwhile, Stephen Fry has told Sky News that men in television must consider who may be the “victim or stereotype” at the root of their “light banter”.
“It’s just good manners, really,” he said. “Good manners have changed… and so I think we’ve all just got to realise it’s not about wokeness, it’s just about being sensitive to the atmosphere.”
Following a backlash – with even Downing Street weighing in – he issued an apology on Monday, saying: “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: “It’s obvious to me I need to take some time out now while this investigation is under way. I hope you understand and I do hope you will accept this apology.”
Fry said Wallace’s initial response was “unbelievably foolish”, and added: “Even if he felt that he’d been misunderstood himself, he could surely see that there were some women there who were truly hurt and had felt not listened to, and that he should first of all address that.”
Production company Banijay UK has appointed law firm Lewis Silkin to lead an investigation into Wallace’s alleged behaviour.
A spokesperson said the company takes the complaints “incredibly seriously” but will not comment on individual allegations while the external investigation is ongoing.
“It is important to note that MasterChef welfare processes are regularly adapted and strengthened and there are clear protocols to support both crew and contributors,” the Banijay spokesperson said. “These include multiple ways of reporting issues, including anonymously.”
In response to reports that multiple complaints had been raised with the BBC, a source for the corporation said it would not comment on individuals or any internal HR processes but that it would be “wrong to report the BBC has done nothing if or when matters have been raised with us – not least because it is already being widely reported there were interventions in both 2017 and 2018 where action was taken”.
Last week, a BBC spokesperson said that any issues raised are taken seriously and there are “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,” the spokesperson said.
Sky News has contacted representatives for Wallace for comment.
Coldplay have rescheduled the final two dates of their 10-show run at Wembley Stadium because of strike action on the London Underground.
Rail, Maritime And Transport (RMT) union walkouts next Sunday and Monday make it impossible for fans to get to and from the venue safely, the band said in a statement.
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The completion of their Wembley run will see Coldplay become the first act to play 10 dates at the national football stadium in the same year, knocking current joint record holders Taylor Swift and Take That from the top spot.
Both Swift and Take That have played eight Wembley shows in a single year.
Industrial action on the Tube will take place at different times from 5 September for seven days, impacting Coldplay’s gigs – which are part of the band’s eco-friendly Music Of The Spheres world tour – on 7 and 8 September.
A statement from the band posted on social media read: “We’re sorry to announce that, due to planned industrial action on the London Underground, we’ve been forced to reschedule our final two concerts of the current Wembley Stadium run.
“Without a Tube service, it’s impossible to get 82,000 people to the concert and home again safely, and therefore no event licence can be granted for the nights of 7th and 8th September.
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“To avoid cancelling the shows, our only option is to reschedule.”
They said the show on 7 September would move to 6 September and the show on 8 September would move to 12 September.
The band added: “We’re very sorry for the inevitable disappointment, frustration and inconvenience that this situation causes.”
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Coldplay said tickets would remain valid for their rescheduled date, but any fans who are unable to attend their rescheduled show can get a full refund on their ticket from their point of purchase before noon on 2 September.
Returned tickets are to go on general sale at 11am on 3 September via Ticketmaster.
The band confirmed shows on 30 and 31 August, and 3 September and 4 September would go ahead as scheduled.
Some 10% of the band’s proceeds from the Wembley shows will be donated to the Music Venue Trust to help support grassroots UK venues and upcoming artists.
Fronted by Chris Martin, Coldplay formed in 1997, and have gone on to achieve two UK number one singles and 10 UK number one albums. They are best known for songs such as Yellow, Fix You, A Sky Full Of Stars and Viva La Vida.
Jessie J has been forced to rearrange or cancel all upcoming tour dates as she will be having a second operation as part of her treatment for breast cancer.
The 37-year-old announced in June that she had been diagnosed with early breast cancer. She had her first operation later in the same month.
The singer, whose real name is Jessica Cornish, was due to tour the UK and Europe in October, before gigs in the US in November.
In a video posted on Instagram, she’s now told fans: “Unfortunately, I have to have a second surgery, nothing too serious, but it has to be done before the end of the year and unfortunately, that falls right in the middle of a tour that I had booked.”
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Jessie J has battled numerous health issues, including being diagnosed with a heart condition when she was eight years old and suffering a minor stroke aged 18.
The singer-songwriter has had three number one songs in the UK singles chart, with Price Tag and Domino – both released in 2011 – and 2014’s Bang Bang, a collaboration with Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.
She won the Critics’ Choice prize at the 2011 BRITs and bagged four Mobo awards in the same year.
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch says he’s shocked at how “fragile” he still is – despite years in the spotlight and success in the industry.
It might seem like the Doctor Strange star and The Crown actress Olivia Colman have it all when it comes to money and success – but they are also human like the rest of us.
The pair lead the cast of new satirical black comedy The Roses, which sees picture-perfect couple Ivy and Theo Rose – a rising star chef and ambitious architect – raise their two children in California, while chasing their own dreams.
‘I am shocked at how fragile I am’
But behind its dark humour and comic language, the film also looks at the realities of power imbalance, insecurity and wounded pride – in even the strongest of relationships.
And 49-year-old Cumberbatch– whose character faces a major setback in his career – tells Sky News that in real life the glare of social media only intensifies those type of situations.
“I am shocked at how fragile I am still.
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“I don’t go anywhere near it [social media] because of that.
“It’s like walking into a place where people want to marry you or kill you. Those extremes.
“I think we will get to a stage, a corporate culture that’s now manifested around it where people are obliged to do that in order to sell their lives, and therefore their brand and what they do for a living.”
Co-star Colman – who’s long-shunned the online world – agrees.
Image: Cumberbatch and Colman in The Roses. Pic: Jaap Buitendijk/ Searchlight Pictures
“I don’t look at any of it. My husband will look at a review and if it’s nice he’ll show me – but if it’s anything mean he knows to just go ‘don’t look – don’t look.’
“You just have to learn to be thicker-skinned.
“But actually, I think we need people who are sensitive and kind.”
‘Don’t do it… delete it all’
Colman – now 51, and whose leading role in The Favourite bagged her an Academy Award in 2019 – says no amount of experience and success can shield her from criticism.
“My advice to a young’un – sort of dipping their toe into the world of social media for the first time is absolutely don’t do it.
“Delete it all. If you want a happy life, don’t have any of it. I’ve never had it.”
The movie – directed by Meet The Parents’ Jay Roach with The Favourite screenwriter Tony McNamara – also calls into question the notion of success – asking, is it really possible to have it all?
Or is sacrifice inevitable when it comes to spinning the plates of a high-flying career, marriage and parenthood?
Cumberbatch admits “you can’t do it all without there being a cost”.
“You just have to weigh up what those balances are,” he adds.
Colman says “there are I suppose little sacrifices along the way” – from both sides of a relationship.
The comedy drama offers a fresh take on Warren Adler’s novel The War Of The Roses – and the 1989 hit film adaptation- starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.
Colman and Cumberbatch – both producers on the film – insist they weren’t daunted by that though.
“We wanted to find a project to do together, and we have utter respect for the iconic status of the film and book,” explains Cumberbatch.
“Hopefully this will have its own place in the culture – it’s very different, it’s not a remake – it’s a reimagined jumping-on point.”
“But beyond that, it’s very different,” adds Colman.
Former Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa and Barbie’s Kate McKinnon also form the cast.