Former BBC presenter Gregg Wallace has defended himself in his first interview since stepping down from his internet hosting duties following complaints about his conduct and language behind the scenes.
Wallace left his high-profile internet hosting gig on the BBC’s MasterChef in November 2024, and this weekend he informed the Every day Mail newspaper the “tidal wave of abuse” he acquired left him contemplating suicide, pondering, “Is my insurance coverage updated? Will [Wallace’s wife] Anna get some cash? She doesn’t deserve this. It might be higher if I wasn’t right here.”
An investigation by BBC Information – which works independently of the BBC’s programme makers – revealed allegations o f inappropriate sexual feedback by 13 individuals who had labored with Wallace throughout a spread of reveals, over a 17-year-period.
Since then, additional claims of “groping” and “touching” have emerged, all of which Wallace has strenuously denied, including that he had phoned a number of co-presenters and visitors who had supported his model of occasions.
He informed the Every day Mail he’d realised about seven years in the past that the brash, energetic, outspoken greengrocer persona he first delivered to his internet hosting duties was now not applicable, and he modified. He additionally referred to his current autism analysis of which, he mentioned, “I’m not blaming my behaviour on my analysis, nevertheless it does clarify a hell of loads to me.”
MasterChef‘s manufacturing firm Banijay has additionally launched an inquiry into the historic allegations. Each investigations have but to report their findings.
When he stood down whereas the BBC investigated the claims, Wallace arguably made issues worse for himself by posting a video on social media, through which he mentioned “the allegations got here from ‘a handful of middle-class ladies of a sure age.”
At that time, even the UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer known as the presenter’s remarks “inappropriate and misogynistic.”
The BBC has since introduced that the present will return with Wallace changed by restaurant critic Grace Dent.
