Lucy Vallance

How to prevent another Gregg Wallace scandal

Gregg Wallace said the allegations against him were made by middle-class women (Alamy)

‘Huw Edwards, Russell Brand, Jermaine Jenas, Phillip Schofield, Gregg Wallace… when will it end?!’ read the message from a friend. Sadly, the answer is that it won’t anytime soon. The media scandals that explode into the headlines – such as those surrounding Gregg Wallace, who is alleged to have made inappropriate comments while working on Masterchef (something he denies) – are met with fury and indignant cries. ‘How was this allowed to happen?’, people ask. But the truth is that these cases are only the tip of the iceberg.

It’s easy to see how the ego of the ‘talent’ can grow to monstrous proportions

Why is the broadcast media so susceptible to bad behaviour? An unholy trinity of an over-supply of labour, a scarcity of jobs and the monstrous egos of some of the ‘Talent’ – the name given to the most high-profile broadcasters – is to blame.

More people want to work in broadcast roles than ever, but there aren’t enough jobs for them.

Britain’s best politics newsletters

You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.

Already a subscriber? Log in