Greg Wallace
Jeff Spicer/Getty ImagesBritish TV presenter Greg Wallace has been criticized for his response to multiple allegations of sexual misconduct made against him.
The MasterChef host announced last week that he was stepping down from his role as co-host of the show after BBC News reported 13 allegations of sexual misconduct against Wallace, 60, that apparently occurred over a 17-year period.
Wallace’s lawyers have denied the allegations BBC News at that time. The TV host has since taken to social media and addressed the allegations.
“I did MasterChef for 20 years — amateur, professional and Celebrity MasterChef — and I think in that time I’ve worked with over 4,000 athletes of all ages, all backgrounds, all walks of life,” Wallace it says in a video shared via Instagram late last month. “Apparently now, I read in the paper, there have been 13 complaints in that time.”
While Hollywood may seem all glitz and glamor on the surface, the industry has seen its fair share of scandals over the years. The New York Times and New Yorker first published investigative stories in 2017 accusing disgruntled film producer Harvey Weinstein of decades of sexual assault and harassment. Soon after, Weinstein was brought to trial and was (…)
He concluded: “Now in the paper I can see the complaints coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age only from Celebrity MasterChef. This is not correct. In over 20 years of television, can you imagine how many female contestants MasterChefhave made sexual remarks or sexual insinuations – can you imagine?’
Greg Wallace
Andrew Matthews – Pool/Getty ImagesThe answer appears to relate to an allegation from the former United Kingdom Celebrity MasterChef competitor Kirsty Work. She claims that on two occasions Wallace made a “sexual” joke in front of the show’s cast and crew. Other claims claim that Wallace took off his shirt in front of a co-worker and told another co-worker that he was not wearing underwear.
Wallace received backlash for his initial reaction to the allegations. On Monday, December 2, he apologized in a separate video.
“I want to apologize for any offense I caused with my post yesterday and for any upset I may have caused many people,” he said. “I wasn’t in a good space when I posted it, I was under a lot of stress, a lot of emotions, I felt very alone, under siege yesterday when I posted it. It is obvious to me that I need to take some time off while this investigation is underway. I hope you understand and I hope you accept this apology.
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Production company Banijay UK confirmed it was investigating all allegations against Wallace.
“While these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company Banijay UK, we feel it is appropriate to conduct an immediate external review for a full and impartial investigation,” they said in a statement, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “While this review is ongoing, Greg Wallace will be stepping down from his role on MasterChef and is committed to co-operating fully throughout the process.”
They added: “Banijay UK’s duty of care to staff is always a priority and our expectations of behavior are clear to both the cast and crew of all productions, with multiple ways to raise concerns, including anonymously, clearly advertised on the set. Although these are historical statements, cases brought to our attention where these expectations have not been met are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately.
