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Daily Record
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
BBC's bombshell letter to Gregg Wallace as broadcaster states 'you will not change'
The BBC have banned Gregg Wallace from working for the broadcaster in a strongly worded letter as executives stated that they don't have any confidence he can change... The BBC have banned Gregg Wallace from future collaborations with them, delivering the news in a strongly worded letter. Earlier this week Wallace issued a statement declaring he "will not go quietly" as he waits for a report by Banijay examining his behaviour on Masterchef. In his statement, Wallace claimed the Banijay investigation - which is yet to be made public - had cleared him of the most serious allegations. However, it was confirmed that he had been dismissed from his Masterchef role by the production company. According to the Mirror, Claire Powell, head of compliance for BBC Television, wrote a lengthy letter to the former MasterChef host. In it, she stated that the BBC had "no confidence" Wallace could change. No confidence In the letter, Powell said that Wallace "struggled to distinguish the boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace" and said they don't have any confidence that he could change. "I do not have the confidence that you can change what seems to be learned behaviour for you to make what you perceive to be jokes in the work environment, without understanding the boundaries of what is appropriate," she stated. "You acknowledge some of your comments have offended or upset people. But it is clear that you struggle to distinguish the boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, as well as lacking an awareness of why your behaviour impacts others. I do not have confidence that your behaviour can change." Previous warning The letter also disclosed that Wallace had previously received a warning from the BBC following a complaint made in 2018. At the time, he was offered counselling and instructed during a meeting to modify his behaviour. He underwent coaching the following year, during which additional complaints about his conduct on MasterChef were raised. Wallace was also given a dressing down by Kate Phillips, who was then the Controller of Entertainment and is now the BBC's Chief Content Officer. Coaching provided In their letter, the BBC confirmed that Wallace received some coaching. Although the specifics were not disclosed, the coaching occurred in 2019 - one year after the BBC had received a complaint. Duty of care In the letter, Powell emphasised the duty of care owed to other participants on the show and stated that Wallace's behaviour had not changed enough to ensure a "sufficiently safe and respectful environment". "I have further taken into account the 2025 findings as they relate to your health and recent autism diagnosis (as you have publicly stated). I have noted that you do not consider certain environments to now be 'safe' for you," she stated. "In addition to the duty of care towards you, the BBC equally to take into account the safety and duty of care owed towards contributors, members of the public and colleagues on production teams that you may engage with and the appropriate use of licence fee payers' money in establishing a safe working environment for all." Future concerns In the detailed letter, Powell explained that the BBC could no longer collaborate with Wallace on the shows he currently appeared in. Besides MasterChef and its spin-offs, such as the celebrity edition, he also hosted other BBC programs including Eat Well for Less? and Inside the Factory. Powell expressed the broadcaster's concern that these were "not heavily scripted programmes". She added: "Such productions are not heavily scripted programmes and involve sound and consistent levels of judgment in relation to interactions with others which cannot constantly be monitored or supervised." Final blow At the end of the lengthy letter, the BBC confirmed that Wallace would not be working with the broadcast ever again. "Given my conclusion, I do not believe that the BBC should make plans to work with you in the future on any of its productions, whether directly or indirectly," she said. "I have also taken into account whether your behaviour could be improved with training and/or coaching. However, having reviewed the 2025 findings, I do not have the confidence that you can change what seems to be learned behaviour for you to make what you perceive to be jokes in the working environment, without understanding the boundaries of what is appropriate." Powell concluded: "I do not have confidence that your behaviour can change to ensure there is a sufficiently safe and respectful environment for others working with you in the types of programmes the BBC has engaged you to present." BBC and Wallace's statements The BBC also said it would not comment beyond the statement issued on Tuesday, which stated: '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." In his own statement released prior to the letter becoming public, Gregg wrote: "I was hired by the BBC and MasterChef as the cheeky greengrocer. A real person with warmth, character, rough edges and all. For over two decades, that authenticity was part of the brand." "Now, in a sanitised world, that same personality is seen as a problem. My neurodiversity, now formally diagnosed as autism, was suspected and discussed by colleagues across countless seasons of Master Chef. Yet nothing was done to investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over twenty years. That failure is now being quietly buried," he continued. "Unfortunately, the full report (over 200 pages) will never be seen. Later this week, the BBC will publish a short Executive Summary. What really concerns me about the short summary is others who have been found guilty of serious allegations have been erased from the published version of events." "I, and I'm sure the public, would like to know why? 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," the statement concluded. 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Daily Mirror
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
BBC's letter to Gregg Wallace's biggest bombshells - early warning to final blow
The BBC have banned Gregg Wallace from working for the broadcaster in a scathing letter where executives said they did not 'have the confidence that you can change what seems to be learned behaviour' The BBC have banned Gregg Wallace from working with them again in a scathing letter. Wallace issued a statement earlier this week to say he "will not go quietly" ahead of a report by Banijay about his conduct on MasterChef. Wallace stated in his lengthy message that he had been cleared from the most serious allegations by the Banijay report - which has yet to been published - but it was confirmed he had been let go by the production company with his MasterChef role. Claire Powell, head of compliance for BBC Television, wrote a lengthy letter to the former MasterChef star as seen by The Mirror. In it, she spoke of the broadcaster having "no confidence" Wallace could change. No confidence In the letter, Powell said that Wallace "struggled to distinguish the boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace" and said they did not have the confidence he could change. "I do not have the confidence that you can change what seems to be learned behaviour for you to make what you perceive to be jokes in the work environment, without understanding the boundaries of what is appropriate," she wrote. "You acknowledge some of your comments have offended or upset people. But it is clear that you struggle to distinguish the boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, as well as lacking an awareness of why your behaviour impacts others. I do not have confidence that your behaviour can change." Previous warning It was also revealed in the letter that Wallace had been previously warned by the BBC after a complaint in 2018. He was offered counselling and was told in a meeting to change his behaviour. He had coaching the following year. There were also complaints about him that same year on MasterChef. He was given a dressing down by Kate Phillips, who was then controller of entertainment and is now the BBC's chief content officer. Duty of care In the letter, Powell wrote about duty of care to other participants in the shows and said Wallace's behaviour was not able to change enough to allow for a "sufficiently safe and respectful environment". "I have further taken into account the 2025 findings as they relate to your health and recent autism diagnosis (as you have publicly stated). I have noted that you do not consider certain environments to now be 'safe' for you," she penned. "In addition to the duty of care towards you, the BBC equally to take into account the safety and duty of care owed towards contributors, members of the public and colleagues on production teams that you may engage with and the appropriate use of licence fee payers' money in establishing a safe working environment for all." She added: "Such productions are not heavily scripted programmes and involve sound and consistent levels of judgment in relation to interactions with others which cannot constantly be monitored or supervised." Final blow At the end of the lengthy letter, the BBC confirmed they would not be allowing him to work with them again. "Given my conclusion, I do not believe that the BBC should make plans to work with you in the future on any of its productions, whether directly or indirectly," she wrote. "I have also taken into account whether your behaviour could be improved with training and/or coaching. However, having reviewed the 2025 findings, I do not have the confidence that you can change what seems to be learned behaviour for you to make what you perceive to be jokes in the working environment, without understanding the boundaries of what is appropriate." She concluded: "I do not have confidence that your behaviour can change to ensure there is a sufficiently safe and respectful environment for others working with you in the types of programmes the BBC has engaged you to present." BBC and Wallace's statements The BBC also said it would not comment beyond the statement issued on Tuesday, which stated: '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." In his own statement released prior to the letter becoming public, Gregg wrote: "I was hired by the BBC and MasterChef as the cheeky greengrocer. A real person with warmth, character, rough edges and all. For over two decades, that authenticity was part of the brand. Now, in a sanitised world, that same personality is seen as a problem. My neurodiversity, now formally diagnosed as autism, was suspected and discussed by colleagues across countless seasons of Master Chef. Yet nothing was done to investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over twenty years. That failure is now being quietly buried. "Unfortunately, the full report (over 200 pages) will never be seen. Later this week, the BBC will publish a short Executive Summary. What really concerns me about the short summary is others who have been found guilty of serious allegations have been erased from the published version of events. I, and I'm sure the public, would like to know why? 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."
Metro
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Gregg Wallace 'banned from BBC' as scathing letter of dismissal revealed
Gregg Wallace has been banned from working at the BBC after he was sacked from Masterchef over allegations of inappropriate behaviour, it is reported. The 60-year-old was officially sacked as a MasterChef presenter this week after an external investigation into a string of historical allegations of inappropriate behavior were levelled against him last year – all of which Wallace has denied. As 50 more people approached the corporation with fresh claims against Wallace, he has now been banned from working at the BBC, a scathing letter of dismissal obtained by The Telegraph has revealed. From Claire Powell, head of compliance for BBC Television, the corporation are reported to have told Wallace executives did not 'have the confidence that you can change what seems to be learned behaviour'. The outlet reports the letter acknowledges Wallace was 'a presenter on a flagship BBC show' and noted 'the impact that your comments had on the BBC's reputation'. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video It continued: 'I have also taken into account whether your behaviour could be improved with training and/or coaching. However, having reviewed the 2025 findings, I do not have the confidence that you can change what seems to be learned behaviour for you to make what you perceive to be jokes in the working environment, without understanding the boundaries of what is appropriate. 'I also have to consider the fact that various people in the BBC have spoken to you about your behaviour over the course of your career, and that you also already received training/coaching in 2019.' Powell also said she had further taken into account Wallace's autism diagnosis – which he is blaming his behaviour on – and that he does not consider certain environments 'safe'. But Powell continued to explain how 'in addition to the duty of care towards [Wallace]', the BBC has to take into account 'the safety and duty of care' owed to staff, the public, and contributors working with him, as well as the 'appropriate use of licence fee payers'. It added that Wallace 'lacks awareness' of why his behaviour impacts others, despite him acknowledging the upset caused by his comments. The letter explained how the BBC does 'not have confidence' that Wallace can change his behaviour on the shows, which rely on a non-scripted format and live judgement from hosts over how they interact. The Telegraph also report Wallace was told he is banned from the BBC in the future. A BBC spokesperson told Metro: '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.' Wallace stepped down from Masterchef in November after a number of allegations were made against him. He faced accusations of making 'inappropriate sexual jokes' and lewd comments on set, asking for the phone numbers of female members of production staff, and undressing in front of and standing 'too close' to women working on his shows. Wallace strongly denies any serious misconduct – including accusations of groping. The presenter is reportedly prepared to take legal action against the BBC and the production team behind MasterChef, claiming he was discriminated against due to his autism following his dismissal from the long-running series. He has admitted that his behaviour may have been misinterpreted and attributes much of it to social misunderstandings stemming from his autism, which he was only formally diagnosed with recently. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Earlier this week Wallace took to Instagram to claim the report cleared him of 'the most serious and sensational accusations' in a lengthy statement defending his innocence after '21 years of loyal service to the BBC'. More Trending 'I cannot sit in silence while my reputation is further damaged to protect others,' he declared. He accused the BBC of 'peddling baseless and sensationalised gossip' with 'legally unsafe accusations'. Later he claimed the report – conducted by an independent law firm on behalf of MasterChef's production company Banijay – found him 'primarily guilty of inappropriate language between 2005 and 2018'. 'I recognise some of my humour and language, at times was inappropriate. For that, I apologise without reservation. But I was never the caricature now sold for clicks,' he wrote. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: EastEnders star Frank Barrie dies aged 88 as tributes are paid MORE: Friends of Gregg Wallace claim autism caused 'inability to wear underwear' MORE: BBC soap actor Iain Robertson facing trial for rape
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC accused of giving Gary Lineker ‘hero's farewell' with Match of the Day swansong
The BBC has been accused of giving Gary Lineker a 'hero's farewell' by allowing him a Match of the Day 'swansong' on Sunday. Lineker's departure has been confirmed after mounting pressure within the corporation and beyond over an 'anti-Semitic' social media post last week. However, corporation chiefs have allowed the former England football captain to host this Sunday's coverage of the last matches of the Premier League season. Campaigners and BBC insiders are now questioning why he was not dismissed with immediate effect given the levels of offence caused by the now-deleted Instagram post showing an anti-Semitic rat emoji. Among television executives to express fresh concern are Leo Pearlman, chief executive at Fulwell Entertainment, and Danny Cohen, former director of BBC Television. 'The BBC's decision to allow Lineker a final appearance on Match of the Day, effectively offering him a hero's farewell, despite the fact that he is leaving the corporation because of his use of an anti-Semitic trope comparing Jews to vermin, is deeply disturbing,' Pearlman told Telegraph Sport. 'At a time when anti-Semitism in Britain is rising at an alarming rate, the BBC's choice to honour Lineker in this way sends an appalling message to the Jewish community.' Cohen added: 'The BBC has made the right decision to part ways with Gary Lineker, but he should not be allowed a final swansong this weekend. And why the BBC's statement does not even mention anti-Semitism is hard to understand. Given the Nazi echoes of the content shared it will be very hard for many in the Jewish community to see Mr Lineker present Match of the Day again on Sunday. 'If the racist content had been directed at another community, I do not believe a presenter would be allowed to carry on for another week. The BBC has a serious and wide-ranging problem with anti-Semitism. Only much stronger executive leadership can change that.' Jane Lush, the former controller of BBC Entertainment and Comedy, added: 'No person, however popular, is bigger or more important than the BBC. I say this as the person who personally fired Angus Deayton from Have I Got News For You. When many predicted it would see the demise of the programme, 23 years later the show is going as strongly as ever. The lesson the BBC should learn is that it cannot allow anyone – however well known or influential – to damage its reputation in this way again.' Lineker will lose out on an estimated £800,000 after being forced to leave without a pay-off. Sources close to the corporation say the decision to drop him was made primarily by BBC chiefs who had run out of patience with his outspoken political views. The latest controversy was set in motion on Monday last week when the Match of the Day presenter used Instagram to promote a pro-Palestinian video featuring a rat emoji – an icon used by the Nazis as a slur against Jewish people. Lineker apologised and removed the video but calls to remove him from the BBC grew louder on Thursday when Telegraph Sport published an explosive interview with Lineker in which he went further than ever in his comments about Israel and also criticised his boss at the BBC. It was confirmed at noon on Monday that this Sunday's Match of the Day will be Lineker's last BBC outing. An anonymous BBC member of staff said in response on Monday: 'It's not just about the rat, the video itself contained anti-Semitic tropes and yet it seems like BBC bosses have done the bare minimum of damage limitation. As a Jewish member of staff, that feels like a betrayal.' Stuart Andrew MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said: 'It is unacceptable that the BBC is permitting Gary Lineker to host Match of the Day as a presenter for one more show given his reposting of offensive content which played into ancient anti-Semitic tropes. Such a decision not only undermines the seriousness of anti-Semitism but also calls into question the BBC's commitment to being impartial.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Irish Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
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Dara O'Briain came to prominence as host of the topical panel show Don't Feed the Gondolas. On TV he is also known for hosting Mock The Week, Robot Wars, Three Men in a Boat, Dara and Ed's Great Big Adventure, Stargazing Live, Dara Ó Briain's Science Club, and the documentary Dara Ó Briain Meets Stephen Hawking, all on BBC Television. As well as winning Channel 4's Taskmaster! Thanks to our friends at Live At The Marquee we have a pair of tickets to giveaway to one lucky winner to see Dara O'Briain Live at the Marquee, Sunday June 29, 2025 PLUS overnight B&B stay for two sharing at the 4* Clayton Hotel Cork! To be in with a chance of winning simply fill out the form below. If you can't see the form above, CLICK HERE Terms and Conditions apply, see entry form for details.
