BBC bosses let Gregg Wallace continue to work on MasterChef despite top exec's warning over his sexist behaviour on set and complaint about his offensive 'fat jokes about women' on another Beeb show which he later quit
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BBC bosses allowed Gregg Wallace to work on MasterChef despite a warning from an executive about his 'unacceptable' behaviour seven years ago.
Kate Phillips, who currently manages unscripted programmes for the BBC, intervened to address the host's conduct following a complaint raised by Scottish broadcaster Aasmah Mir.
In emails seen by the Times, Ms Mir contacted the BBC about inappropriate comments made by Wallace during filming for the show's 12th season in November 2017.
The radio host said in a message forwarded to Phillips that she didn't want 'to feel guilty when people say "why wasn't anything said before?' before adding in another email that 'this must not happen again to another woman.'
The BBC exec said she would make sure she was 'informed straight away' if more allegations were raised against the food show host.
However Wallace allegedly continued to behave inappropriately, being warned about his conduct on BBC quiz show Impossible Celebrities the following year.
It comes as a producer who worked on MasterChef between 2014 and 2015 as well as other BBC shows claimed the presenter appeared to be 'too close' to certain contestants and 'spoke about sex a lot'.
Georgia Harding alleged he would make 'inappropriate sexual jokes' and would get 'changed on set' in front of staff despite having a private changing room.
BBC bosses allowed Gregg Wallace to work on MasterChef despite a warning from an executive about his 'unacceptable' behaviour seven years ago
In emails seen by the Times , Aasmah Mir (Pictured far right) contacted the BBC inappropriate comments made by Wallace during filming for the show's 12th season in November 2017
BBC exec, Kate Phillips said she would make sure she was 'informed straight away' if more allegations were raised against the food show host
'He would show off his "muscles" from having a Personal Trainer, it made us feel uncomfortable,' she told The Telegraph.
It has also been revealed that the tax-funded broadcasting channel let Wallace to continue hosting MasterChef after a separate warning from Nestlé regarding his behaviour.
Wallace allegedly disgruntled factory workers when he made jibes about their weight whilst filming a segment about Aero chocolate bars on BBC's Inside The Factory.
A source told The Sun: 'He upset some of the female workers by joking along the lines of "working in a chocolate factory is the reason you’re fat’" It really upset them.'
His jokes - made at the beginning of 2023 - infuriated staff so much that Nestlé said Inside The Factory would not be welcome on their premises.
It is understood that the food manufacturer contacted both the BBC and the show's production company.
The recently emerged allegations come shortly after Wallace was accused of groping three different woman in bombshell new claims, with former MasterChef winner Emma Kennedy revealing she reported him 12 years ago.
One former contestant, who wished to remain anonymous, has today accused Wallace of groping her while she was cooking on the set of the show.
He also allegedly shouted 'You stupid cow' when she turned on the tap incorrectly and scalded her hand.
Former Celebrity Masterchef winner Emma Kennedy revealed she reported Wallace 12 years ago after she allegedly witnessed him grope a camera assistant during a photoshoot for the 2012 finals
Emma Kennedy (far left) claimed the PR team who worked for MasterChef were aware of Wallace's (middle right) behaviour and worried it was only a matter of time before it became public
The woman claims she let Wallace know she was disgusted by his actions, but said she 'had her card marked' for not seeing it as banter.
She told The Sun that Wallace came up behind her as she stood at the kitchen counter and put his hands on her hips before pressing into her.
'I made an 'Eww' sound and stepped forward,' she said. 'It was my instant reaction. But it set his mangy on edge and he moved on without saying anything.'
When the woman burned her hand under the hot tap, it was at that moment, she claimed, Wallace decided to be an 'absolute b*****d.
'It was awful. He offered no assistance. I wanted to cry,' she told The Sun.
The woman claimed Wallace was also appalling in the way he treated the show's staff, pushing a camerawoman and shouting 'Get out of my f****ng face'.
The contestant said she didn't make a complaint about Wallace's behaviour at the time because she 'didn't see the point' because 'they won't do anything'.
Another woman claimed Wallace told her in a pub that she aroused him and that he made sexually inappropriate comments and squeezed her bum.
The then 27-year-old met Wallace at the Ideal Home Show in London and said it was one of her first roles as an events planner.
Bosses at the corporation are said to have hauled the MasterChef co-host into a meeting in 2018 following allegations of 'inappropriate sexual comments' and told him to 'change his behaviour'
Wallace on MasterChef with co-host John Torode. A re-emerged clip from the 2013 series showed Wallace making a 'innuendo-laden remark' at contestant Katy Brand
She then bumped into him at the pub where he struck up a conversation with her and allegedly told her he couldn't look her in the eyes because he was aroused.
The next day, the woman said she met Wallace's now ex-wife Heidi Brown, who was 'really sweet', but when Wallace came over the woman said his demeanour changed.
She told The Sun: 'He said, "Do I know you?", like he was pretending he didn't know to justify his behaviour. The whole thing was grim and not acceptable.'
The woman did not make a complaint because she said she feared repercussions.
A third allegation came from Celebrity MasterChef winner Emma Kennedy who claimed she first reported Wallace's behaviour 12 years ago, after she allegedly witnessed him grope a camera assistant during a photoshoot for the 2012 finals.
Wallace stepped down from the TV programme on Thursday amid a probe into his behaviour.
Ms Kennedy, 57, claimed the PR team who worked for MasterChef were aware of Wallace's behaviour and worried it was only a matter of time before it became public.
The actress and comedian told The Sun: 'They knew then. They knew before then and they've known since.'
A total of 13 people, including Kirsty Wark, complained about Wallace's conduct while working with him over a 17-year period across five shows, from 2005 to 2022, the BBC revealed.
The grocer turned broadcaster has insisted that it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature
Following Gregg's departure, Rod Stewart released a statement to Instagram branding him a 'tubby bully'
Rod and wife Penny pictured together in 2019
The presenter was accused of taking his top off in front of a female worker saying he wanted to 'give her a fashion show' and talking about his sex life to others, including telling one female colleague he wasn't wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans.
Ms Walk claimed that on two occasions Wallace told stories and jokes of a 'sexualised nature' in front of contestants and crew while filming Celebrity MasterChef in 2011.
She said his gags and comments were 'really, really in the wrong place'.
The BBC presenter also allegedly made 'racist' remarks about an Asian MasterChef contestant on the show.
According to a former staff member who worked on the production, Wallace would make the inappropriate remarks just after the contestant walked off the set.
They told the Telegraph, Wallace would regularly make the 'very offensive' comments in front of the filming team, but that they felt unable to report them at the time due to their junior position.
The 'racist' remarks included allegedly making 'Kung Fu noises' and saying 'me so horny' while on set filming a series.
in another instance of inappropriate behaviour, a shocking video re-emerged of Wallace approaching 2013 MasterChef contestant Katy Brand in the kitchen and remarking he would 'munch the living daylights out of her little tart'.
Reacting to the resurfaced video of Wallace's tart comment, Brand called the encounter 'awkward' and recalled her immediate 'shock and disbelief' at the 'crass and idiotic joke'.
'I took it as an innuendo-laden remark at the time, and I still see it that way now,' she said.
Gregg Wallace will step away from presenting MasterChef while complaints made to the BBC from individuals about historical allegations of misconduct are investigated. Former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark is among 13 people who have accused MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace of making inappropriate sexual comments she heard filming Celebrity MasterChef in 2011 (right)
Kirsty would make the final of the sixth series of Celebrity MasterChef
Gregg looked stressed as Ms Wark struggled with her gravy in 2011
Other inappropriate TV moments involving Wallace included a bizarre remark about 'salty balls' in a MasterChef contestant's underwhelming starter in 2023.
He told Diya Kotecha-Lodhia: 'I found those balls really quite salty.'
In 2015 while tasting a female contestant's dessert, Wallace declared: 'I want to take my shirt off and dive in!'
Celebrities that have now come out to complain about the presenter's conduct include Rod Stewart and Ulrika Jonsson.
Repeats of MasterChef have allegedly now been removed by Channel 5 and - in a humorous twist - replaced by a documentary on Gregg's the high street bakers.
The grocer turned broadcaster has insisted that it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.
MailOnline revealed on Friday afternoon that some of Wallace's friends blamed his conduct on a secret autism condition.
They said that despite never having been diagnosed, Wallace displays 'all the classic symptoms' including his 'lighter filter on the subject of sex' and 'inability to read the room'.
The friend said: 'Gregg carries many of the autistic symptoms, the people who know him best have been saying it for years.
''He has a light filter when it comes to sex which is common in people on the spectrum. In the modern world of TV where you can't just dismiss some of his actions as banter.'
They added: 'Sometimes he doesn't interpret facial expressions and tones of voice clearly, therefore can't decipher how a person is reacting to what he's saying.
'But there's denying he's good honest bloke.'
On Friday night, a Downing Street spokesperson said the allegations around Wallace's conduct were 'deeply concerning'.
The spokesperson said: 'It's right that a thorough investigation is conducted, but this of course is one for the BBC and you will have seen their statement saying that they 'take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place'.
MasterChef co-presenter Gregg Wallace filmed a live video message admitting he was feeling some 'stress' as newly-emerged allegations were made against him in October
'While that process is underway it wouldn't be right for me to comment. I believe the BBC is currently undertaking a workplace culture review to deliver clear and timely recommendations, and it's essential that staff and the wider public have confidence that the BBC takes these issues seriously.'
A BBC spokesperson said: 'We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.
'We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated'
'Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company, we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them.
'It would be inappropriate for us to comment on anything that could form part of Banijay's ongoing investigation or otherwise influence it.'
MailOnline have approached Banijay and Wallace's representatives for comment.
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