Gregg Wallace’s 20-year career with the BBC is finished – and so is any admiration he had for the broadcaster, apparently. When the corporation probed the former MasterChef presenter after more than 50 women came forward with allegations about the TV star – and reported that a further 11 had accused him of inappropriate sexual behaviour – Wallace fumed that the Beeb’s News section was guilty of ‘chasing slanderous clickbait rather than delivering impartial journalism’. Oo er.
The broadcaster began an investigation into the presenter after a number of allegations about the 60-year-old’s behaviour were revealed in November – including accusations of groping and bullying women throughout his two-decade career at the Corp. Among those who spoke out were former Celebrity MasterChef contestants like Vanessa Feltz and Kirstie Allsopp. In response, Wallace dubbed them a ‘handful of middle-class women of a certain age’. But a report by the Times found that the TV personality had been forced to quit documentary series Inside the Factory after upsetting female staff – while further reports from BBC News allege Wallace inappropriately touched a woman at a MasterChef wrap party in 2013.
For his part, Wallace has admitted his behaviour wasn’t up to scratch on MasterChef – but the star claimed a probe by law firm Lewis Silkin had cleared him of the ‘most serious and sensational allegations’. The TV veteran remarked:
I recognise that some of my humour and language, at times, was inappropriate. For that, I apologise without reservation. The most damaging claims were found to be baseless after a full and forensic six-month investigation.
Attacking the BBC, however, Wallace raged:
The BBC is no longer providing balanced and impartial public service journalism. It is peddling baseless and sensationalised gossip masquerading as properly corroborated stories.
Shots fired! The report details are expected to be published by MasterChef producer Banijay UK on Thursday. Stay tuned…
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