Gregg Wallace was ‘forced to apologise for rape joke’ years before quitting MasterChef over ‘sexual comments to staff’

GREGG Wallace was forced to apologise for a 'rape joke' years earlier quitting MasterChef implicit "sexual comments to staff" allegations.

The presenter, 60, has stepped down from the hugely fashionable BBC1 amusement pursuing complaints from 13 radical astir humanities allegations, including erstwhile Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark.

It comes six weeks aft The Sun revealed Wallace was warned implicit “inappropriate intersexual comments” helium made connected different BBC show, Impossible Celebrities.

Following our article, respective radical contacted The Sun to talk astir their unpleasant experiences with the presenter.

One pistillate accused him of cracking a gag astir rape during filming for MasterChef in 2017.

She said: “Gregg was accused of utilizing inappropriate connection portion the cameras were on.

“He was besides accused of making a gag astir rape and idiosyncratic raised a complaint.

“Gregg was past told to apologise astir what he’d said. It was incredibly awkward and past it conscionable moved connected and nary 1 talked astir it again.”

It was besides claimed past nighttime that Wallace wandered bare into the MasterChef workplace with a sock pulled implicit his privates.

The telly presenter’s vocation was hanging by a thread aft an probe was launched into his alleged misconduct implicit a fig of years.

One witnesser claimed Wallace came into the MasterChef studios starkers isolated from a strategically placed sock earlier performing a “silly dance”.

They alleged that helium was “very touchy-feely” and made “disgusting sex-related jokes”.

The ex-market trader — who has presented MasterChef since 2005 — is also accused of mimicking a enactment act successful beforehand of a unit member.

The show’s accumulation institution Banijay UK yesterday confirmed an outer probe had been launched, with which Wallace and the BBC are “fully cooperating”.

BBC News — which runs independently of the BBC — said it had received complaints astir Wallace dating from 2005 to 2022.

Ms Wark claims connected 2 occasions Wallace told stories and jokes of a “sexualised nature” successful beforehand of contestants and unit portion filming Celebrity MasterChef successful 2011.

She said that his jokes and comments were “really, truly successful the incorrect place”.

She added: “I deliberation radical were uncomfortable. We were fundamentally a captive audience.

"People looked embarrassed and conscionable got connected with their work. I was really much aggravated than thing else, due to the fact that I thought it was truthful inappropriate.”

Wallace has besides been accused of taking his apical disconnected successful beforehand of a pistillate worker, saying helium wanted to “give her a manner show”, and openly discussing his enactment life.

On 1 juncture helium allegedly informed a inferior pistillate workfellow that helium was not wearing immoderate boxer shorts nether his jeans.

Wallace’s lawyers accidental it is “entirely false” that helium engages successful sexually harassing behaviour.

Production institution Banijay UK yesterday confirmed helium volition beryllium “stepping away” from the show.

It 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.

“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.”

The Sun besides revealed antecedently however manufacture commercialized national Bectu person been investigating allegations astir him for much than a year.

Wallace — joined to Anne-Marie Sterpini — deed back, claiming: “The allegations were investigated six years agone and my comments were recovered to beryllium not sexual. I repeat, not sexual. Thank you everybody for your time.”

Following our article, we besides received 2 threatening letters from his lawyers, claiming our reporting was “misleading and defamatory”.

Last twelvemonth Wallace stepped down from different BBC show, Inside The Factory, amid allegations helium was “rude to unit and continued to speech successful a derogatory manner, particularly to women.”

He is the latest BBC star to look allegations of misconduct, and comes successful the aftermath of aggregate scandals.

Last nighttime an insider told The Sun: “Of course, these are tricky times but afloat transparency, velocity of enactment and collaboration are imperative — and this is precisely what the BBC is doing.

“All owed processes are being adhered to, and the BBC is afloat contributing to the probe to the grade it has already handed implicit evidence.

"The corp has learned its lessons from the past, and the cardinal concerns present are the payment of anyone who has had a little than affirmative experience.

"It’s truly important radical consciousness capable to talk retired against its apical stars.”

In the aftermath of the latest allegations, Wallace broke his soundlessness tonight.

The presenter thanked radical for “showing their support” arsenic helium faces a caller question of allegations.

Gregg said successful an Instagram video: "I would similar to convey each the radical getting successful touch, scope retired and showing their support.

"That's bully of you, convey you precise much."

His mother, Mary Pettman besides told the Mail Gregg is "fine" amid the probe.

The 81-year-old said today: "He's fine. I talk to my lad rather regularly and helium is fine."

Of the probe and erstwhile Gregg volition instrumentality to MasterChef, she added: "I person nary thought what it's about. You volition person to talk to him."

Meanwhile, Gregg's co-star John Torode is yet to publically comment, aft antecedently distancing himself from Wallace, saying successful a podcast: “We’ve ne'er been friends”.

Yesterday the BBC said successful a statement: “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.”

It is yet different profoundly awkward script for the BBC — and comes successful the aftermath of the Huw Edwards’ child-sex images scandal.

There are besides comparisons to the caller Strictly furore aft Giovanni Pernice was forced to measurement down arsenic an enquiry was launched into his alleged misconduct.

He was eventually cleared of intimidating oregon assertive behaviour.

It besides follows the sacking of Match of the Day pundit Jermaine Jenas after 2 women came guardant complaining that helium had ­texted them inappropriately.

The BBC said it volition not propulsion already recorded episodes of MasterChef: The Professionals which volition air, arsenic planned, adjacent month.