MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace has denied allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour on the set of a BBC show.
The host has issued a response to reports that he was apprehended by executives at the BBC in 2018 while filming an episode of game show Impossible Celebrities, with accusations that he had taken his top off in front of a female member of staff and boasted about his sex life.
As reported by The Sun, Wallace is said to have been reported for consistent “inappropriate sexual comments”, and BBC bosses told him he needed to “change his behaviour”.
In a post on Instagram in response to the allegations, Wallace has said that the incident had been investigated at the time, claiming that the outcome was that he had not said “anything sexual”.
The Sun’s source asserted that “Gregg appeared to think it was all just banter and is also said to have made some comments in front of the live audience”, adding that employees of the show were “mortified”.
Posting on Monday (October 14), Wallace said the incident was “investigated promptly when it happened six years ago by the BBC and the outcome of that was that I hadn’t said anything sexual. Do I need to repeat this again? I didn’t say anything sexual. Thank you for your time.”
In a follow-up post, he added: “Nobody six years ago accused me of flirting with anybody or hitting on anybody. The reason I say this is because of my wife Anna. I have always been true to my wife Anna.”
The spokesperson for the BBC has said that “whilst we do not comment on individuals, if issues are raised they are dealt with swiftly and appropriately at the time. We do not tolerate any form of inappropriate behaviour and have robust processes in place.”
This past February, Wallace also responded to the “cruel” and “nasty” backlash over a viral interview he gave about his Saturday regime, in which he appeared to suggest he only spent an hour and a half with his autistic, non-verbal son each day, but spends two hours in his office playing video games.