GREGG Wallace has blasted “middle-class women of a certain age” for complaining about him in a bizarre new Instagram post.
The MasterChef host is under investigation after an investigation was launched into his alleged years of misconduct.
7
Greg Wallace released a statement on Instagram this morningCredit: Instagram
7
He stepped down from hosting MasterChef amid an investigation into historic misconduct allegations Credit: Pixel8000
7
Gregg Wallace in Kent earlier this weekCredit: Paul Edwards
7
Kirsty Wark on Masterchef 2011 is one woman who accused Wallace of sexualised behaviorCredit: Pixel8000
It comes after the TV chef was accused of making sexual remarks by 13 colleagues, including Beeb presenter Kirsty Wark – allegations he denies.
Wallace, 60, has stepped down from the BBC show while the historic allegations against him are investigated.
Now Wallace has hit back at the accusations in another bizarre Instagram post.
He told his followers: “I’ve been doing Masterchef for 20 years – amateur, celebrity and professional MasterChef and I think in that time I’ve worked with over 4,000 contestants of all ages, all different backgrounds and all walks of life.
“I read in the newspaper that at that time there were 13 complaints.
“I see complaints in the papers coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age from Celebrity Masterchef alone.
“This is not right.
“In over 20 years of television, can you imagine how many women, contestants, on MasterChef have made sexual remarks or sexual allusions, can you imagine?”
Wallace also took to his Instagram story this morning.
He said: “Look, this is important to me. 20 years on Celebrity MasterChef, amateur or professional, Eat well for less.
Watch the chilling moment MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace tells ‘distressed’ Strictly star ‘I’m not wearing underwear’ and grabs him by the crotch
“Do you know how many staff, all kinds of staff, complained about me at that time?
“Absolutely none. Zero. Seriously.”
The cooking show’s production company, Banijay UK, said yesterday that law firm Lewis Silkin would lead an investigation into Wallace’s alleged misconduct.
The BBC said it would be inappropriate to comment on anything that might be part of Banijay’s investigation.
The investigation was initiated due to complaints against him lasting 17 years.
Wallace’s lawyers say it is “absolutely false that he is engaging in conduct of a sexually harassing nature”.
One witness claimed the former grocer, 60, walked into the studio naked except for a “sock over his penis” and then danced.
They also said he mimicked a sexual act while a worker knelt down to clean his pants.
The Sun revealed that one former contestant even claimed that a MasterChef judge groped her while she was cooking on the set of the show while the cameras were rolling.
Another woman claims Wallace told her in a busy pub that she turned him on, made more lewd comments and squeezed his bum.
In a third accusation, Celebrity MasterChef contestant Emma Kennedy yesterday claimed she saw co-host Wallace grope a cameraman during a taping for the 2012 finalists.
And a former employee claimed he made offensive Asian remarks on set in 2017.
The Sun first reported on Wallace’s behavior last month.
He resigned on Thursday as allegations of misconduct are investigated, with singer Sir Rod Stewart accusing him of humiliating his wife Penny on the show.
Gregg thanked people for their “outpouring of support” in a video posted to his Instagram on Thursday night, and yesterday shared a bizarre picture of a gingerbread man dipped in whipped cream.
Gregg Wallace’s career so far
Gregg Wallace has been a familiar face on TV for years thanks to his role as a judge on MasterChef – but let’s take a closer look at his career so far…
- In 1989 he started George Allan’s Greengrocers, which grew to a turnover of £7.5m.
- Gregg’s experience in the world of fruit and vegetables led him to co-host BBC Radio 4’s Veg Talk with Charlie Hicks for seven years.
- He then became the first host of Saturday Kitchen in 2002, a role he held for a year before being replaced by Antony Worrall Thompson in 2003.
- At the same time, Gregg presented a number of food-related TV specials, including Veg Out for the Discovery Channel.
- Gregg landed his most notable TV role as a co-host and judge on the BBC’s cooking competition show MasterChef in 2005. He stars alongside John Torode.
- In 2010, Gregg realized another lifelong dream of opening a restaurant. He opened the company Wallace & Co. in Putney.
- Then in 2012 he opened Gregg’s Bar & Grill in a joint venture with the Bermondsey Square Hotel.
- Gregg then landed a guest appearance on the BBC, presenting the documentary Supermarket Secrets in August 2013.
- Unfortunately, times were hard for Gregg, and in the same month it was announced that one of his companies, West Veg Limited, had failed, owing more than £500,000.
- In 2014, both of his restaurants went bust and Wallace & Co owed suppliers £150,000.
- However, his TV career continued to thrive, and in 2015 he became a regular host of the award-winning food documentary series Eat Well for Less? Gregg hosted the show for eight years before he left.
- Gregg then made Telly history again when he revived the BBC’s historical game series Time Commanders.
- More recently, the celebrity chef has presented a number of travel programs such as Big Weekends with Gregg Wallace, South Africa with Gregg Wallace and food mockumentary Gregg Wallace: Britain’s Meat Miracle.
7
He is alleged to have made sexual remarks to 13 colleagues Credit: BBC
7
Wallace has pulled out of MasterChef while allegations of misconduct are investigatedCredit: The Sun
7
Gregg has presented MasterChef alongside John Torode since 2005
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education