Gregg Wallace investigated for making inappropriate sexual comments to a female employee, leaving his MasterChef future in doubt

GREGG Wallace’s future on MasterChef was under fire last night after it emerged he was questioned over inappropriate sexual comments made to a female BBC employee.

Bosses slammed the host in 2018 for taking off his top and bragging about romping, we can reveal for the first time.

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He was also accused of being rude and insulting to women on another show in 2023.

Last week the BBC pledged to tackle bad behaviour.

But an insider questioned why Wallace was allowed to remain on the flagship cooking show “despite allegations about his behaviour”.

The BBC will now face fresh questions about why the 59-year-old was retained despite his promise to clean up workplace culture after a series of scandals.

Insiders told The Sun that concerns were raised about his behavior six years ago – when he was accused of making “inappropriate sexual comments” to a female staffer on BBC game show Impossible Celebrities.

He was dragged into a meeting after claiming he bragged about his sex life and took off his top in front of the woman, ‘hurting’ members of the production team.

Wallace was then hit with accusations last year that he spoke to women in a “derogatory” way while filming BBC’s Inside The Factory.

A source said: “There are questions to be asked about the decision to allow Gregg to continue on MasterChef despite these previous incidents.

“The BBC says they are keen to clarify issues around workplace culture but have allowed Gregg to remain on a flagship show despite allegations about his behaviour.”

The 2018 incident went unreported until an insider contacted The Sun following the BBC’s launch last week of an investigation into workplace culture, promising to tackle “abuse”.

Wallace was reported to BBC chiefs for making ‘consistently inappropriate comments’ to the younger woman while they worked on Impossible Celebrities, a panel show.

They also claimed that onlookers allegedly overheard Wallace’s comments, who said it was “just banter.”

A source told The Sun last night: “Gregg was accused of making inappropriate comments to a younger female member of the production team.

“He would brag about his sex life with his partner at the time. At one point, Gregg was also accused of taking off his top in front of the woman, which felt inappropriate. Gregg seemed to think it was all just banter and reportedly made some comments to the live audience as well.

“The team working on the show were shocked and told BBC executives what had happened.”

Ordered to change behavior

Wallace, who has been married four times, was then ordered to change his behavior.

The source continued: “The BBC took immediate action and Gregg was called in to meet with them. He made it clear that he didn’t mean anything by what he said, but that he was being read the riot act and had to change his behavior.”

However, last year he stepped down from the BBC show Inside The Factory following accusations that he had been “rude to staff and continued to speak in a derogatory manner, especially to women”.

The incident, reported in The Times, is said to have occurred during an episode filmed at the Nestle factory in York.

A complaint about Wallace’s language was filed with production company Voltage TV.

Gregg was accused of making inappropriate comments to a younger, female member of the production team

Sun source

The presenter was spoken to and told to “moderate” it. Wallace was said to be “shocked” that he had “caused such an offence”.

The non-sexual accusation is said to have played a role in his decision to quit the role after seven series. He later hit back and confirmed that although there was an “altercation” at the factory, it was “not offensive”.

Wallace said: “There was a fight in the factory, the reporting is incorrect. There was a problem and I thought this was the perfect time to come out.”

He continued: “I don’t want to discuss the matter, but it wasn’t what the papers said it was.

“There was nothing offensive to anyone, it’s just people’s guesses. It was a good time to come out.”

Despite these incidents, Wallace continued to co-host MasterChef with John Torode.

The pair have been frontmen of the popular cooking competition since 2005.

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The latest allegations emerged after the BBC announced the workplace review last Friday.

It follows a series of scandals that have plagued the organization in recent months.

This includes the child sex photos that disgraced former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards and the investigation into bullying behavior by Strictly Come Dancing.

In a statement, the BBC said it wanted to tackle “abuse of power”.

BBC chairman Samir Shah said: “I cannot emphasize enough my commitment to tackling inappropriate or offensive behaviour.

It is said that he bragged about his sex life with his partner at the time. At one point, Gregg was also accused of taking off his top in front of the woman, which felt inappropriate

Sun source

“For most of us, working for the BBC is a pleasure and that should be the case for everyone.

“No one who works at the BBC should ever feel fear or worry while working here.

“What is clear to me is that we must ensure that the BBC is a safe and welcoming workplace for everyone.”

The BBC investigation aims to “ensure that the consequences of inappropriate behavior and abuse of power are understood by all”.

A spokesperson said it plans to publish a report next spring.

Wallace started out as a market trader before moving into broadcasting. He has three children, including one with fourth wife Anna, whom he met on Twitter in 2013.

Speaking about the latest allegations, a BBC spokesperson said: “While we do not comment on individuals, any concerns are dealt with quickly and appropriately.

“We do not tolerate any form of inappropriate behavior and have robust processes in place.”

Wallace’s reps said: “No comment.”

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