Another week, another bit of bad news for ex-Beeb star Gregg Wallace. A report into the former MasterChef presenter has substantiated a whopping 45 complaints against the TV personality – making any return to the public service broadcaster ‘untenable’. A seven-month inquiry by legal firm Lewis Silkin was carried out on behalf of the programme’s production company. Speaking to 78 witnesses, it probed a staggering 83 complaints against the star – and upheld more than half. Crikey.
The ex-MasterChef presenter faced more than 14 hours of interviews with the investigating team. Almost all of the allegations related to incidents occurring between 2005 and 2018, with most of these concerning inappropriate sexual language and humour. Of the incidents that have been substantiated, just one took place after 2018 – which is when Wallace was spoken to about his behaviour by BBC chiefs. Other complaints that were upheld included allegations of inappropriate language and one reported instance of unwanted physical contact. Good heavens!
Wallace received more media attention last week after he claimed that his neurodiversity diagnosis of autism meant he is unable to wear underwear. He took to Instagram last Tuesday to insist:
My neurodiversity, now formally diagnosed as autism, was suspected and discussed by colleagues across countless seasons of MasterChef. Yet nothing was done to investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over 20 years.
More than that, as reported by the Telegraph last week, the former foodie even plans to sue the Beeb and the creators of MasterChef for discrimination on the grounds of his autism, after the Corporation sacked him from his role as host of the cooking competition. While charities and disabled peoples’ groups hit back at Wallace over his claim – with Neurodiversity in Business boss Dan Harris fuming ‘autism is not a free pass for bad behaviour’ – the Lewis Silkin report found the diagnosis to be ‘highly relevant’ in the context of its findings. How very interesting…
And Wallace wasn’t the only BBC staffer in the firing line – two allegations made about other MasterChef workers were also substantiated. The show’s production company was slammed for not providing enough training or escalation procedures to manage complaints before 2016, with incidents often handled informally, while it was noted that the BBC had not been in possession of centrally-held information. The chief of production company Banijay UK, Patrick Holland, apologised to anyone who had been affected by Wallace’s actions – which, he added, ‘make Gregg Wallace’s return to MasterChef untenable’ – while the Beeb insists it has told Wallace he cannot return to the company. As ever, the Beeb appears more adept at making news headlines than breaking them…
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