BBC Gregg Wallace statement in full as Masterchef host quits presenting role

Gregg Wallace, who has presented MasterChef alongside John Torode since 2005, arsenic good arsenic its spin-offs Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals, is cooperating with an investigation

Gregg Wallace's TV vocation hangs by a thread - arsenic it is claimed the presenter wandered bare into the MasterChef studio with a sock pulled implicit his privates.

The incidental is 1 of a fig of alleged misconducts implicit respective years - and present Wallace, 60, has stepped down from the hugely fashionable BBC1 show. Former Newsnight big Kirsty Wark is among 13 people who person accused the MasterChef presenter of making inappropriate intersexual comments.

The afloat allegations came to airy connected Thursday aft the show's accumulation institution Banijay UK confirmed the complaints made to the BBC are present being investigated. Wallace, who started a greengrocer institution successful 1989 which grew to a turnover of £7.5 million, is cooperating with the probe.

Banijay UK, which besides makes Big Brother, and the BBC person released authoritative statements connected the investigation. The probe is addressing each the complaints, including an allegation the erstwhile marketplace trader came into the MasterChef studios starkers isolated from a strategically placed sock earlier performing a "silly dance". The witnesser alleged that helium was "very touchy-feely" and made "disgusting sex-related jokes".

The BBC spokesperson said: "We instrumentality immoderate issues that are raised with america earnestly and we person robust processes successful spot to woody with them. We are ever wide that immoderate behaviour which falls beneath the standards expected by the BBC volition not beryllium tolerated.

"Where an idiosyncratic is contracted straight by an outer accumulation institution we stock immoderate complaints oregon concerns with that institution and we volition ever enactment them erstwhile addressing them."

Wallace has presented MasterChef alongside John Torode since 2005, arsenic good arsenic its spin-offs Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals. Recorded episodes of MasterChef: The Professionals featuring Wallace volition transmit arsenic planned, with the adjacent occurrence owed to aerial connected Thursday, it is understood.

The Banijay UK spokesperson said: "This week the BBC received complaints from individuals successful narration to humanities allegations of misconduct portion moving with presenter Gregg Wallace connected 1 of our shows.

"Whilst these complainants person not raised the allegations straight with our amusement producers oregon genitor institution Banijay UK, we consciousness that it is due to behaviour an immediate, outer reappraisal to afloat and impartially investigate.

"While this reappraisal is nether way, Gregg Wallace volition beryllium stepping distant from his relation connected MasterChef and is committed to afloat co-operating passim the process.

"Banijay UK's work of attraction to unit is ever a precedence and our expectations regarding behaviour are made wide to some formed and unit connected each productions, with aggregate ways of raising concerns, including anonymously, intelligibly promoted connected set. Whilst these are humanities allegations, incidences brought to our attraction wherever these expectations are not met, are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately. If anyone would similar to speech to america oregon rise immoderate issues oregon concerns, past they tin interaction speakupbanijayuk.com successful confidence."

Wallace's lawyers accidental "it is wholly mendacious that helium engages successful behaviour of a sexually harassing nature", BBC News reported. The begetter of two, raised successful Peckham, southeast London, was made an MBE successful the Queen's Birthday Honours successful 2022 for his services to nutrient and charity.

He was the archetypal presenter of the BBC amusement Saturday Kitchen successful 2002 and, implicit the years, has besides featured connected Eat Well For Less, Inside The Factory, Turn Back Time, Harvest, and Supermarket Secrets.