MasterChef producers have appointed a “rigorous” law firm to lead an investigation into alleged misconduct by host Greg Wallace.
It comes after a BBC News investigation heard allegations of inappropriate sexual comments and inappropriate behavior from 13 people who worked with Wallace on a series of programs over 17 years.
CNN filed a claim with Wallace’s representatives on Tuesday.
On Thursday, MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK said Wallace would quit the show while allegations of historical misconduct are investigated.
Banij added that the 60-year-old was “committed to cooperating fully throughout the entire process”.
Wallace’s attorneys say the suggestion that he engaged in conduct of a sexually harassing nature is simply false.
On the appointment of London law firm Lewis Silkin, a spokesman for Barney UK said it was an “experienced and professional investigative team that has overseen a range of high-profile workplace investigations”.
They added: “Banijay UK was impressed by the company’s rigorous, in-depth and impartial analysis and reporting.”
“All information will be treated sensitively and the names of those providing evidence to the team will be kept confidential.”
Announcing the investigation on Thursday, Banijay UK said in a statement: “This week the BBC received complaints from a number of individuals regarding working with presenter Gregg Wallace on one of our programmes. There are historical allegations of misconduct.
In a video posted on Instagram that evening, Wallace said: “I want to thank everyone who has reached out to me and reached out and shown their support.
“That’s so kind of you – thank you so much.”
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Veteran broadcaster Kirsty Wark was one of 13 people who spoke to the BBC about Wallace. She was a contestant on Celebrity Chef 2011.
Walker said that on two occasions during early morning filming, Wallace told stories and jokes of a “sexualized nature” in front of contestants and crew.
BBC News also heard a former MasterChef staff member said Wallace showed her nude photos of himself and asked for a massage.
A former staff member of the Channel 5 show Greg Wallace’s Big Weekend said he was fascinated by the fact she dated women and asked about the logistics of how it would work.
Other claims made to BBC News include:
- In 2019, a female “MasterChef” staff member said Wallace talked about sex and asked her new boyfriend if his butt was good.
- A female staff member on a BBC food show in 2010 said Wallace stared at her breasts
- A female staff member on Eat Well For Less in 2019 said Wallace told her he was not wearing boxer shorts underneath his jeans
- A male who worked on “MasterChef” in 2005-06 said Wallace often said sexually explicit material on the set. He said Wallace once said a dish tasted like his aunt’s vagina, and another time he asked a female runner if she put her fingers up her boyfriend’s butt
- A male staff member who worked on “Big Weekend” and other travel shows from 2019 to 2022 said Wallace talked about threesomes with prostitutes and said he “liked to be spanked” several times a day
Over the past year, Banij has worked with more than 300 independent production companies, which produce more than half of the BBC’s television programming time.
In a statement on Thursday, it encouraged anyone with any concerns to come forward.
A BBC spokesman said: “We take any concerns raised with us seriously and have robust processes in place to deal with them.”
last month, The BBC also announced Undertake an independent review of its workplace culture.
A spokesman for Channel 5, which broadcasts Big Weekend, said: “We take any allegations of this nature very seriously.
“We have asked the production company to investigate these historical claims. The health and well-being of everyone involved in our productions is very important to us and we want all of our productions to be safe and secure places for people to work.”
Rumpus, the production company behind “Big Weekend,” said: “We will not tolerate misconduct in our productions.
“We have comprehensive duty of care processes in place during the production of these series and any concerns raised will be investigated in accordance with these processes.”
