Gregg Wallace: I'm not a groper, sex pest or flasher
The 60-year-old defended himself and described being grouped with sex offenders Jimmy Savile and Huw Edwards as 'horrific'.
In his first interview with The Sun at his home in Kent, he said his aim in speaking out was not 'to play the victim'.
Wallace lost his job following complaints from a number of women over the years.
'There's so much that I want to say, and so much that I want to put right, if I can,' he said.
'I'm not saying I'm not guilty of stuff, but so much has been perceived incorrectly. Things that really hurt me and hurt my family.'
The former TV star, who did not take a fee for the interview, added: '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.
'I am not sexist or a misogynist, or any of it.
'There never were any accusations of sexual harassment.
'I have seen myself written about in the same sentence as Jimmy Savile and Huw Edwards, paedophiles and sex offenders.
'That is just so, so horrific.'
'I don't expect any sympathy'
Wallace, who is married to wife Anna and has a six-year-old son, Sid, said he was still learning about himself and had done so over the past eight months as he was diagnosed with autism back in January.
'I know I have said things that offended people, that weren't socially acceptable and perhaps they felt too intimidated or nervous to say anything at the time,' he said.
'I understand that now – and to anyone I have hurt, I am so sorry.
'I don't expect anyone to have any sympathy with me but I don't think I am a wrong 'un.'
A total of 45 of 83 complaints have been upheld in the wake of a report into Wallace's behaviour by law firm Lewis Silkin.
The complaints were made by 41 people and during the course of his career he worked with 4,000 people, who were cast, crew and production; 0.5 per cent of people had criticised him.
But he admitted the figure was too high.
He also lent his support to former MasterChef co-host John Torode and said: 'He's not a racist.'
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