Former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace has hit back at social media users questioning the findings of a report that saw him forced to leave the BBC cooking show
Former MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has hit back at an Instagram user seemingly referring to his alleged conduct during his time working at the BBC.
In November 2024 it was announced that Wallace would step away from his role on the BBC cooking show while historical allegations of misconduct were investigated.
Wallace issued an apology saying he was “deeply sorry for any distress caused” and that he “never set out to harm or humiliate” in the wake of the Lewis Silkin review, which upheld 45 out of 83 allegations made against him. One of the allegations came from a complaint from a former MasterChef worker who accused Wallace of dropping his trousers in front of her – something Wallace denies.
READ MORE: BBC MasterChef winner ‘feels awful’ for John Torode as complaint left her ‘gobsmacked’READ MORE: MasterChef fans ‘switch off’ as they make same complaint about Wallace and Torode
In a fresh comment on social media today, Wallace claimed the allegation was one of the 38 dismissed by the independent inquiry. Posting on Instagram, Wallace shared a video of himself and wife Anna celebrating their ninth wedding anniversary.
But the comment section was more focused on discussing Wallace’s recent scandal. One Instagram user wrote to Wallace: “I’m surprised she stayed with you after the things you were accused of though.”
Wallace replied: “Maybe because she realised I was just accused and they weren’t true.” Another comment aimed as Wallace reads: “Are your trousers up or down…asking for a friend.” In response, Wallace wrote: “no allegations of that type were upheld. What made you think they were, please?”
Last month, Wallace again apologised to anyone hurt by his behaviour, but insisted he is “not a groper, a sex pest or a flasher”. In fresh comments to The Sun, Wallace acknowledged that he had said things that “offended people, that weren’t socially acceptable and perhaps they felt too intimidated or nervous to say anything at the time. I understand that now – and to anyone I have hurt, I am so sorry.”
He added: “I’m not a groper. People think I’ve been taking my trousers down and exposing myself – I am not a flasher. People think I’m a sex pest. I am not.”
The former greengrocer also said his recent autism diagnosis means he struggles “to read people”. “I know people find me weird,” he said. “Autism is a disability, a registered disability.”
Earlier this week, Wallace and John Torode’s final series of amateur MasterChef landed on BBC iPlayer after both presenters were dropped from the popular cooking show.
The first three episodes of the 21st series were released on iPlayer early on Wednesday morning, ahead of the first episode airing on BBC One at 8pm.
Both presenters can be seen in the introduction shots of episode one, with Torode saying: “This is the sort of stuff that dreams are made of”, while Wallace can be seen telling a contestant “that is a cracker of a job”.
Torode was the subject of an allegation about using racist language that was upheld as part of the Lewis Silkin review, but the TV star said he had “no recollection of the incident” and was “shocked and saddened” by the allegation.
Last month the BBC confirmed the series, which was filmed last year before allegations against Wallace and Torode were upheld, would be broadcast in August, adding that it had “not been an easy decision in the circumstances.”
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