Gregg Wallace, formerly a host on *MasterChef*, has publicly stated his “sincere apologies” to anyone he may have harmed, while firmly denying allegations that he is “a groper, a sex pest, or a flasher.”
In a recent interview with The Sun, the television personality also defended John Torode, his former co-host, who was dismissed following allegations of racist remarks, asserting that Torode is “not a racist.”
Wallace’s dismissal earlier this month followed an investigative report that substantiated 45 claims concerning his conduct on the show. These included allegations of unwanted physical contact and instances of being inappropriately undressed.
Torode’s termination was also prompted by a substantiated claim that he used “an extremely offensive racist term,” an incident he states he has “no recollection” of.
The inquiry, conducted by an independent legal firm, was commissioned by *MasterChef*’s production company, Banijay, after a BBC News investigation last year initially brought forth claims of misconduct against Wallace.
Since the initial report, over 50 individuals have contacted BBC News with further allegations against him.
These include claims that Wallace groped a *MasterChef* staff member at a wrap party and exposed himself to another.
Despite repeated requests, BBC News has been unable to secure an interview with Wallace.
The majority of the substantiated claims against Wallace involved inappropriate sexual language and humor, as well as culturally insensitive or racist remarks.
In his first interview since his dismissal, Wallace acknowledged making statements that “offended people, that weren’t socially acceptable and perhaps they felt too intimidated or nervous to say anything at the time.”
“I understand that now – and to anyone I have hurt, I am so sorry.”
He attributed these comments to his background as a former greengrocer from Peckham, operating in an environment he described as “jovial and crude.”
However, he asserted: “I’m not a groper. People think I’ve been taking my trousers down and exposing myself – I am not a flasher.”
“People think I’m a sex pest. I am not.”
Wallace addressed one of the upheld claims, a widely reported incident in which he allegedly walked around the *MasterChef* set naked with only a sock covering his genitals.
He stated that no contestants were present during the incident, only four of his friends from the show outside his dressing room door.
“I was getting changed to go to a black tie event, a charity event. I put my bow tie on and my shirt. It’s only them outside the door. I put the sock on, opened the door, went, ‘Wahey!’ and shut the door again.”
“The people interviewed were either amused or bemused. Nobody was distressed,” he claimed.
Prior to the report’s release earlier this month, Wallace posted a now-deleted statement on Instagram, seemingly linking the misconduct allegations to his recent autism diagnosis.
This led to criticism from disability charities and advocacy groups. One charity told BBC News that autism is “not a free pass for bad behaviour,” with other groups cautioning that such statements risked stigmatizing the autistic community.
In Friday night’s interview, Wallace reiterated his diagnosis, saying, “I know I struggle to read people. I know people find me weird. Autism is a disability, a registered disability.”
He also repeated his claim that he “never [wears] pants,” stating, “It’s not sexualized. It’s hypersensitivity – that happens with autism.”
Last week, Wallace’s co-host, Torode, was dismissed following a substantiated allegation of using a severely offensive racist term.
BBC News has since revealed that the alleged incident occurred on the set of *MasterChef* in 2018.
Torode has stated that any racist language is “wholly unacceptable.”
Addressing the claim against his co-host, Wallace said: “I’ve known John for 30 years and he is not a racist.”
“And as evidence of that, I’ll show you the incredible diversity of the people that he has championed, MasterChef winners, over the years. There is no way that man is a racist. No way. And my sympathies go out to John because I don’t want anybody to go through what I’ve been through.”
He added that he had unfollowed Torode and his wife, Lisa Faulkner, on social media, stating, “We never really did get on that well.”
“We’re two very, very different characters.”
Earlier this week, the BBC announced that a new series of *MasterChef*, filmed prior to the dismissals of Wallace and Torode, will still be broadcast as planned on BBC One and iPlayer.
Some of the women who came forward with allegations against Wallace have expressed their belief that the new series should not be aired.
One former *MasterChef* worker, who alleges that Wallace groped her, told BBC News that the decision to proceed with the broadcast shows “a blatant disregard for the people who have come forward.”
The BBC stated that the decision was made “after careful consideration and consultation with the contestants.”
The network added that it has not yet determined the future of the completed celebrity series and Christmas special.
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