Top BBC chef feels ‘a bit sorry’ for Gregg Wallace after misconduct allegations

TV cook Rick Stein has said helium feels ‘a spot sorry’ for Gregg Wallace aft helium stopped presenting MasterChef pursuing a host of misconduct complaints.

The 78-year-old said helium felt what happened to Wallace, who has stepped backmost from the deed BBC One cooking amusement arsenic accumulation institution Banijay UK investigates claims of alleged misconduct, was ‘unfortunate’.

Stein added it would ‘affect maine terribly’ if helium recovered himself nether fire, earlier clarifying helium had not ‘got immoderate skeletons successful a cupboard’.

In an interrogation with The Telegraph, Stein said helium knew Wallace, saying helium is ‘just a antithetic property to me’.

He added: ‘It’s benignant of unfortunate if you are that benignant of idiosyncratic that you tin travel a spot unstuck.

‘I deliberation partially helium hadn’t truly taken connected that you can’t accidental definite things now. It’s not truthful overmuch that helium was a nasty person.

‘I’m fortunate that I’ve got sons who volition instantly archer me, “listen, you can’t accidental this”. And if you don’t prime up connected that, the information that things change, good that’s not precise clever.

‘Sometimes you think, “I can’t judge this”, and past you deliberation “well, that’s the mode it is”. There’s nary constituent successful getting each stroppy astir it.

‘I consciousness a spot atrocious for him really. But I don’t similar sleaziness truthful I’m not saying that (about each of Wallace’s behaviour). But helium conscionable didn’t realise that the upwind had changed.’

Wallace’s lawyers antecedently told the BBC ‘it is wholly mendacious that helium engages successful behaviour of a sexually harassing nature’.

The astir caller bid of MasterChef: The Professionals continued to aerial past twelvemonth amid allegations against Wallace, but 2 MasterChef personage Christmas specials were pulled from the BBC’s docket successful December 2024.

Food professional Grace Dent volition judge the forthcoming 20th bid of Celebrity MasterChef alongside John Torode.

BBC bosses antecedently said the corp volition not ‘tolerate behaviour that falls beneath the standards we expect’ and volition proceed to champion ‘a civilization that is kind, inclusive and respectful’.

A memo sent to unit by the BBC director-general, Tim Davie, and Charlotte Moore, main contented officer, said the corp would beryllium supporting MasterChef shaper Banijay UK successful its investigation.

Earlier this month, Banijay UK said successful a statement: ‘It is important to enactment that MasterChef payment processes are regularly adapted and strengthened and determination are wide protocols to enactment some unit and contributors.

‘These see aggregate ways of reporting issues, including anonymously. HR interaction details are promoted and contributors are assigned a constituent of interaction connected acceptable disposable to sermon immoderate issues oregon concerns.’

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