Gregg Wallace: Law firm to investigate allegations against MasterChef presenter
The production company that makes MasterChef has appointed a City law firm to lead the investigation into alleged misconduct by presenter Gregg Wallace.
Wallace, 60, stepped down from the BBC cooking show on Thursday amid accusations he made sexual comments towards staff and celebrity guests on a range of programmes over 17 years.
Banijay UK, the company that makes the programme, on Saturday said it had appointed Lewis Silkin to lead an investigation and called for anyone else wishing to raise concerns to contact the law firm’s team.
“Lewis Silkin is a major City law firm with a highly experienced specialist investigations team which has overseen a broad range of high-profile workplace investigations,” it said.
“Banijay UK has been impressed by the firm’s rigorous, in-depth, and impartial analysis and reporting.”
A spokesperson added: “All information will be handled sensitively, and names of those providing evidence to the team will be kept confidential.”
Wallace has been a presenter on the programme since 2005, as well as its spin-offs Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals.
Banijay previously said he has “committed to fully co-operating throughout the process” after the BBC received complaints over “historical allegations of misconduct”.
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Gregg Wallace thanks supporters
In an interview with the BBC, Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark said she saw Wallace “use sexualised language in front of a number of people” when she appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2011.
Singer Sir Rod Stewart criticised Wallace on Instagram and claimed he “humiliated” his wife Penny Lancaster in 2021.
The presenter is yet to directly address any of the allegations and on Saturday posted an Instagram message of a biscuit dunked in cream with the caption: “Enjoy your weekend.”
In a video posted to the site on Thursday he said: “I would like to thank all the people getting in touch, reaching out and showing their support.
“It’s good of you, thank you very much.”
The TV star’s lawyers said “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”, BBC News reported.
On Friday, the charity Ambitious About Autism said it had dropped him as an ambassador citing the “recent allegations”.
Wallace has three children and his youngest, five-year-old Sid, is non-verbal and autistic.
Entertainment
Gregg Wallace: Over half of allegations against MasterChef presenter substantiated, including one of unwanted physical contact
An investigation into Gregg Wallace’s “inappropriate behaviour” on MasterChef has found that more than half of the allegations against him have been substantiated, including one of “unwanted physical contact”.
MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK shared a summary of its report into historical allegations of misconduct against the 60-year-old presenter, carried out by independent law firm Lewis Silkin over seven months.
The report also said the number of sustained allegations made Wallace’s return to MasterChef “untenable”.
The investigation heard evidence from 78 witnesses, including 41 complainants.
There were 83 allegations against Wallace, and 45 of them were substantiated. All were related to MasterChef.
While the majority of the substantiated allegations related to inappropriate sexual language and humour, a smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also substantiated.
One allegation of unwanted physical contact was substantiated.
Nearly all the allegations against Wallace were related to behaviour which is said to have occurred between 2005 and 2018, with just one substantiated allegation taking place post-2018.
Wallace and Anne-Marie Sterpini in 2014
Ahead of the publication of the summary, Wallace had said he had been “cleared of the most serious and sensational accusations” made against him.
Additionally, the report summary found that there were also 10 standalone allegations about other people between 2012 and 2018/2019, two of which were substantiated. Those people were not named in the summary.
The investigation found that complaints had previously been raised with the production company between 2005 and 2024.
Gregg Wallace on MasterChef. Pic: BBC/ Shine TV 2024
While the report flagged inadequate reporting procedures prior to 2016, when Endemol merged with Shine ahead of Banijay acquiring Endemol Shine in 2020, it said there were significant improvements to HR processes and training after 2016.
While the investigation said some formal action was taken by the BBC in 2017, it also noted the corporation held no information regarding concerns raised over Wallace centrally, resulting in issues being addressed as a first offence.
Sky News has tried to contact Gregg Wallace for contact today.
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