Skip to content

Wallace's response to MasterChef claims was misogynistic, says No 10

BBC/Shine TV Gregg Wallace on MasterChefBBC/Shine TV

Gregg Wallace's defence of his actions on MasterChef was "inappropriate and misogynistic", Downing Street has said.

On Sunday, Wallace said accusations relating to his behaviour on the show had come from a "handful of middle-class women of a certain age".

Wallace, 60, has denied behaviour of a sexually harassing nature, after 13 people came forward last week with allegations of inappropriate comments.

No 10 has also confirmed Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy held talks with BBC bosses in the wake of the row about his behaviour.

Asked whether MasterChef should be taken off air, the prime minister's official spokesperson said: "It's right that a thorough investigation is conducted. Obviously that's for the BBC and the production company."

This follows calls from a senior MP for the current MasterChef series to be paused ahead of the next episode, which is due to air later on Monday.

Just over an hour after the comments from Downing Street, Wallace issued an apology for his remarks, saying he "wasn't in a good head space" when he posted the video on Instagram.

In the video shared on Sunday, the MasterChef presenter said there had been "13 complaints" from "over 4,000 contestants" he had worked with in 20 years on the BBC One show.

His response was criticised by his accusers, one of whom said the comments showed he "clearly hasn't learnt his lesson".

Ulrika Jonsson, who claimed she was told that Wallace made a “rape joke” during her time on Celebrity MasterChef, told the Daily Telegraph that she felt Wallace's response showed “the arrogance of a man who has zero introspection or self-awareness”.

“When he made reference to women of a certain age I was just seething... I was just absolutely wild,” she said.

Wallace stepped aside last week after a BBC News investigation revealed allegations of inappropriate sexual comments and inappropriate behaviour against him.

The investigation heard from 13 people spanning a range of ages, who worked across five different shows.

Earlier, Rupa Huq MP said the BBC should consider pausing MasterChef while Wallace is investigated.

Huq is a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee and said the continued broadcast of MasterChef could be "triggering" for the women involved.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today, she said: "I think possibly there is an argument for pausing while this investigation takes its course, and maybe not airing it tonight."

The next episode of MasterChef: The Professionals is scheduled to air at 21:00 GMT on Monday on BBC One.

It will be the 16th episode of the 21 which have been recorded for the current series. The next two episodes are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday.

All three of this week's episodes have already been made available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Speaking on Monday, Huq drew attention to the BBC's plan to continue broadcasting the current series of MasterChef: The Professionals this evening.

"I understand it's scheduled for 9pm today, and it's already in the Christmas schedules, but it seems to be not going away from the news."

She added that the broadcast of further episodes of MasterChef "could be massively triggering for the women involved, in fact any woman involved in any type of similar incidents", and said the BBC should consider pausing the series "out of sensitivity".

Nicola Tree/Getty Images Rupa Huq wearing a white blazer and a Labour rosetteNicola Tree/Getty Images
Rupa Huq said there was "an argument for pausing" the show while an investigation takes place.

Huq, the sister of TV presenter Konnie, acknowledged that Wallace had stepped back from presenting the show, but noted the pre-recorded episodes are still scheduled to air.

"To the casual viewer, there's not going to be any difference," she said. "If it's on TV tonight, it looks like he sort of got away with it, and I think the BBC should send a strong signal [about] this sort of behaviour."

She added: "We need to let the investigation do its work, but at the same time, if he's being dangled on our screens while this is going on, I just think at the moment maybe pause it."

Another former Celebrity MasterChef contestant, the Times Radio presenter Aasmah Mir, said on Sunday she had raised concerns about Wallace in 2017.

She told the Sunday Times that Wallace had made inappropriate comments during filming.

“I’ve not watched MasterChef since, because of him," she said. "To make someone feel that uncomfortable, or not to know that you’re making someone that uncomfortable - why would I want to watch someone like that?"

Production company Banijay UK said it has launched an investigation, with which Wallace was co-operating, while the BBC has said it will “always listen if people want to make us aware of something directly”.

The BBC News investigation also found that Wallace was warned by the BBC after a complaint was raised about him in 2018 about the show Impossible Celebrities, something Huq referred to on Monday.

"Apparently this is not the first time, there were warnings before," she said.

"So it does raise the question that when these BBC investigations have happened, what was the consequence? Were they taking the conclusions seriously, [or] did they have their fingers in their ears?"