Gregg Wallace confesses he 'thought about suicide all the time' amid misconduct scandal

Daily Record

26-04-2025

Gregg Wallace has revealed he struggled with suicidal thoughts after being faced with allegations of misconduct. The 60-year-old had to leave his role on MasterChef in November 2024, when allegations of misconduct emerged. The food critic, who hosted Eat Well for Less, was accused in October of gross misconduct, which included making inappropriate sexual remarks to 13 colleagues, including Kirsty Wark , as well as engaging in alleged bullying. The presenter, who hosted the programme since 2005, was accused of making "inappropriate sexual jokes", requesting the phone numbers of female production team members, and undressing "too close" to female staff. Additionally, he was accused of "groping" three women in separate incidents. Following these allegations, the TV personality had to step down from his position on MasterChef while the BBC and production company Banijay UK carried out an investigation into the claims. Gregg's lawyers strongly deny any accusations of sexual harassment. It was announced later that he would be replaced on Celebrity MasterChef by well-known restaurant critic Grace Dent, who will be joining John Torode. These developments came after serious allegations from Penny Lancaster, stating she was a "victim of bullying and harassment" by Gregg. However, Gregg had previously downplayed the allegations, attributing them to "a handful of middle-class women of a certain age." His remarks drew widespread criticism, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. Months after the controversy, Gregg gave an interview to Mail+ where he confessed to having "thought about suicide all the time". Following his departure from MasterChef, which was communicated via a Zoom call with the show's executives in November, he described how his "world tumbled in". He revealed that he isolated himself for days before a senior executive from MasterChef reached out to him in the aftermath of his 'middle-class women' remark, which he now regards as his 'biggest mistake'. Wallace claimed he had not been contacted by the BBC after the claims became public, which led to him posting the Instagram video. "No one should have to face something like this alone," he reflected. "It's very difficult to explain the pressure unless you've experienced it. "I thought about suicide all the time: 'Is my insurance up to date? Will Anna get some money? She doesn't deserve this. It would be better if I wasn't here'." Wallace said he felt he 'had to speak out because people were saying what they liked about me and it wasn't true'. The presenter continued: 'I hadn't slept for four days. The feeling of being under attack, of isolation, of abandonment was overwhelming. 'Nobody from the BBC contacted me once these stories started breaking – absolutely nobody at all. 'News channels were updating hourly with new allegations. There was a tidal wave of abuse on social media, a dozen reporters outside the gate. 'You're watching yourself get personally ripped apart, criticised, accused of all sorts of stuff over and over again. You're thinking, 'this isn't true, it isn't true, what's coming next?' 'You don't sleep, your chest races, your body feels like it's shutting down because it can't cope with the levels of stress. You feel really dirty and horrible because everybody is saying you're a pervert. 'Women – big, respected personalities I thought I had a decent relationship with – were attacking me.' In the Mail interview, Wallace admitted to putting a 'sock over my private bits' and opening his dressing room door shouting 'hooray', but claimed he did this to three friends who were in the studio after filming had finished. He also told the newspaper that allegations of inappropriate jokes were also 'probably true', saying they sounded 'like the sort of comments I'd have made'. Wallace also claimed allegations he had groped crew members were 'absolutely not true'. The London-born presenter added: 'I don't want to make myself sound innocent because, I've come to realise, I must have offended a lot of people over the years when you look at the number of complaints. 'But people on MasterChef are in a very stressed situation and many of them are going to leave disappointed with shattered dreams. 'I think there has been a lot of misunderstanding of my intention, and so many of the complaints are from so long ago. There's a difference between what they think I said and what was actually said.' Wallace's lawyers previously told the BBC 'it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature'. BBC bosses previously said the corporation will not 'tolerate behaviour that falls below the standards we expect' and will continue to champion 'a culture that is kind, inclusive and respectful'. Earlier this month, Banijay UK said in a statement: 'It is important to note that MasterChef welfare processes are regularly adapted and strengthened and there are clear protocols to support both crew and contributors. 'These include multiple ways of reporting issues, including anonymously. HR contact details are promoted and contributors are assigned a point of contact on set available to discuss any issues or concerns.' Samaritans can be contacted free on 116 123 or by emailing [e-mail].