Gregg Wallace sacked as MasterChef presenter, says BBC News
has been sacked as MasterChef presenter following an inquiry into his alleged misconduct by production company Banijay,
BBC
News has reported.
The 60-year-old had
stepped away from hosting the BBC cooking competition
last year after a number of historical complaints came to light.
There have been
fresh claims
about the TV presenter from 50 more people to the corporation including allegations he groped one MasterChef worker and pulled his trousers down in front of another, BBC News said.
A university student has claimed he reached under her skirt and pinched her bottom in a nightclub, and a junior worker alleged he dropped his trousers in front of her while he was not wearing any underwear.
READ MORE
Production firm Banijay previously said Wallace is 'committed to fully co-operating' with the external review while his lawyers have previously strongly denied 'he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature', according to BBC News.
BBC News said it has not seen the final Banijay report but it is understood the presenter has been sacked.
Earlier on Tuesday, the former greengrocer claimed he had been cleared of the 'most serious and sensational accusations' against him in advance of the report examining his alleged misconduct.
In
a statement posted on his Instagram account
, he said: 'I will not go quietly. I will not be cancelled for convenience. I was tried by media and hung out to dry well before the facts were established.
'The full story of this incredible injustice must be told and it is very much a matter of public interest.'
Wallace started out as a greengrocer before he shot to fame fronting BBC shows including Inside The Factory, Supermarket Secrets, as well as MasterChef, Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals.
The most recent series of MasterChef: The Professionals continued to air last year amid allegations against Wallace, but two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials were pulled from the BBC's schedule in December 2024.
At the time, UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy said she would look to impose new standards in the creative industry amid the allegations.
A BBC spokesperson said: 'Banijay UK instructed the law firm Lewis Silkin to run an investigation into allegations against Gregg Wallace.
'We are not going to comment until the investigation is complete and the findings are published.'
Banijay UK declined to comment on Wallace's comments. - PA
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