Latest news with #inappropriateBehaviour
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gregg Wallace's autism caused an 'inability to wear underwear' and was partly responsible for his inappropriate behaviour friends of sacked MasterChef star claim
Friends of Gregg Wallace have said his autism is partly responsible for his inappropriate behaviour, it was reported last night. The 60-year-old's condition has allegedly caused an 'inability to wear underwear because of his autistic hypersensitivity to labels and tight clothing'. His autism is said to result in him having an 'oddity of filters and boundaries', The Times reported. A source close to Wallace said the complaints against him were primarily related to language and most were before 2018, when he realised he had been behaving inappropriately. 'He stopped going out with the team and stopped telling jokes because he realised he didn't know what was right and what crossed the line,' a friend said. Wallace is planning to sue the BBC and makers of MasterChef following his dismissal, The Daily Telegraph reported. 'So many people on the show talked openly about suspecting that he had autism for years before he got his diagnosis,' a source said. It comes as an industry watchdog said Wallace's 'cheeky chappie' excuse for his sexual misconduct doesn't wash. The public did not see the former MasterChef host's 'uglier side', said Baroness Kennedy, who heads the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority. On Tuesday the BBC received 50 new claims over Wallace, including that he groped a worker on the show. Wallace said the allegations are 'uncorroborated tittle-tattle'. Due to the BBC's cost-cutting measures, it's been deemed unlikely that Gregg will receive any or redundancy package, but he could land a six-figure payout from a tribunal in his favour. On Tuesday, Gregg released a statement ahead of the investigation into his misconduct allegations being published later this week. Wallace denies the claims and has condemned the corporation in a scathing social media post saying he had been cleared of 'the most serious and sensational accusations'. But fresh claims come from people who say they encountered him across a range of shows with the majority alleging he made inappropriate sexual comments towards them, according to BBC News. Writing on Instagram, Gregg said he had taken the decision to go public before the Silkins report was published as 'he cannot sit in silence while my reputation is further damaged' Out of the 50 allegations, 11 women have accused him of inappropriate sexual behaviour, such as groping and touching. The report is to be officially published on Thursday, but Wallace's legal team have claimed to have seen the report. A BBC spokesperson told MailOnline: '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 response to the latest allegations, a spokesperson for Wallace told the BBC: 'Gregg continues to co-operate fully with the ongoing Banijay UK review and as previously stated, denies engaging in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.'
Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Gregg Wallace's autism means he can't wear underwear, say friends
Friends of Gregg Wallace have doubled down on claims that his autism is partly to blame for inappropriate behaviour on the set of MasterChef. Wallace has 'autistic hypersensitivity' which results in him having an 'oddity of filters and boundaries', it has been said. Another effect is said to be an exaggerated sensory experience, which has led to Wallace's 'inability to wear underwear because of his autistic hypersensitivity to labels and tight clothing'. A 'litany' of complaints is expected to be upheld against the 60-year-old in a report which could be published as soon as Thursday. However, sources close to Wallace said the complaints primarily related to inappropriate language and were almost entirely dated to before 2018, at which point he realised that he had been behaving badly. A friend said: 'He stopped going out with the team and stopped telling jokes because he realised he didn't know what was right and what crossed the line.' Before the report's publication, Wallace accused programme-makers of failing to act on their suspicions about his condition. 'Nothing was done to investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over twenty years,' he said. 'That failure is now being quietly buried.' Lewis Silkin, the law firm behind the investigation, has written to complainants to inform them that the process was complete ahead of its anticipated publication this week. It said: '[MasterChef producer] Banijay UK is intending to issue a public statement regarding the findings of the investigation.' Patrick Holland, chief executive officer of Banijay UK, speaking at a dinner on Tuesday in London attended by press, producers and presenters, including Victoria Coren Mitchell and Kate Humble, said the investigation had been comprehensive. 'It's been a huge, in-depth piece of work, taking at least seven months, and has spoken to many, many witnesses,' he added. One incident included in the report is understood to have taken place at a MasterChef wrap party in 2013 when the presenter allegedly gave a woman's bottom a 'full-handed squeeze'. Other incidents are said to include an occasion when he covered his genitals with a sock before opening his dressing room door and shouting 'hooray', as well as sexualised jokes. Another allegation, according to BBC News, is an incident in 2012 when Wallace was claimed to have dropped his trousers in front of a female junior worker while not wearing underwear. Wallace has apologised for some of the claims about his use of inappropriate 'humour and language'. But he has insisted that the most damaging claims against him are 'baseless' and that he has been unfairly targeted by the BBC. 'I will not go quietly. I will not be cancelled for convenience,' he said. 'The BBC is no longer providing balanced and impartial public service journalism. It is peddling baseless and sensationalised gossip masquerading as properly corroborated stories.' • Complaints by women left me suicidal, says Gregg Wallace Holland, who joined Banijay UK in May 2022 from the BBC, said the culture of television had changed dramatically in the 20 years since Wallace began his career. 'Whilst we can never be complacent, there are now a myriad of ways for those who experience bad behaviour in the workplace to speak out, whether anonymously, via a hotline, or to dedicated welfare officers,' he said. 'We need to do all we can to ensure that everyone in production, in their most junior roles, feels confident to call out bad behaviour.' After the publication of the review, the BBC is expected to make a decision over whether to air this year's series of MasterChef in which Wallace appears prominently as a judge up until the finale.
Sky News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News
'I will not go quietly,' Gregg Wallace says amid reports he's been sacked from Masterchef
Former MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has vowed he will "not go quietly", amid reports that he has been sacked from MasterChef. It comes after the TV host faced an investigation, commissioned by MasterChef's production company Banijay UK, into alleged inappropriate behaviour while working for the BBC. In November, the 60-year-old stepped back from presenting the cooking show after accusations that he made sexual comments towards staff and celebrity guests on a range of programmes over 17 years. Broadcaster Kirsty Wark, author and actor Emma Kennedy, and presenter Kirstie Allsopp, were among the high-profile figures who made claims of inappropriate behaviour against Wallace. In a statement, released ahead of the publication of the summary of a report into the claims, the 60-year-old said he had been "cleared of the most serious and sensational accusations" made against him. However, he said the report, carried out by independent law firm Lewis Silkin, had found him "primarily guilty of inappropriate language between 2005 and 2018". Wallace's statement, published on Instagram, came hours before the BBC News reported that 50 more people had made claims to the corporation against the presenter, including allegations he groped one MasterChef worker and pulled his trousers down in front of another. In his statement, Wallace labelled BBC News's claims as "uncorroborated tittle-tattle". Wallace wrote: "I have taken the decision to speak out ahead of the publication of the Silkin's report - a decision I do not take lightly. "But after 21 years of loyal service to the BBC, I cannot sit in silence while my reputation is further damaged to protect others. "I have now been cleared by the Silkin's report of the most serious and sensational accusations made against me. "The most damaging claims (including from public figures which have not been upheld) were found to be baseless after a full and forensic six-month investigation. "To be clear, the Silkin's report exonerates me of all the serious allegations which made headlines last year and finds me primarily guilty of inappropriate language between 2005 and 2018." 'I was hired as the cheeky greengrocer - now that's a problem' Wallace said he recognised that "some of my humour and language" was at times "inappropriate" and, for that, he apologised "without reservation". "But I was never the caricature now being sold for clicks," Wallace, who also referred to his recent diagnosis of autism, added. "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." Wallace: Complaints from 'middle-class women of a certain age' Shortly after the allegations first emerged, Wallace recorded a video where he dismissed his accusers as "middle-class women of a certain age". His remarks were met with huge criticism - including from Downing Street, where a spokesperson for the prime minister described them as "completely inappropriate and misogynistic". Wallace responded by posting a follow-up clip where he apologised and said he "wasn't in a good space" when he posted the comments. Wallace was replaced in the 20th season of MasterChef, which aired this spring, by restaurant critic and former I 'm A Celebrity contestant Grace Dent. Several Christmas episodes of the show were also pulled from the BBC's 2024 festive schedule. In April, Wallace spoke to the Daily Mail, denying all accusations against him and saying he had contemplated suicide following the allegations. Wallace's lawyers have previously called allegations that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature "entirely false". A spokesperson for the BBC 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." A Banijay spokesperson told Sky News: "We won't be commenting until our report is published." They have signalled the report will be published later this week or next. Banijay previously said Wallace was "committed to fully co-operating" with the external review. Alongside MasterChef, Wallace presented Inside The Factory for BBC Two from 2015 to 2023. He also featured on various BBC shows over the years, including Saturday Kitchen, Eat Well For Less, Supermarket Secrets, Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals, as well as being a Strictly Come Dancing contestant in 2014. More recently, Wallace has been promoting his health and lifestyle website, offering one-to-one coaching from both himself and a team of experts, which includes nutritionists and doctors, and his wife Anna in the role of recipe curator. Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@ in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Married head of Royal Navy sacked after inquiry into affair with female colleague
The head of the Royal Navy has been sacked following an inquiry into his extra-marital affair with a female colleague, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. Admiral Sir Ben Key had been suspended while claims of his relationship were investigated by senior officers. The First Sea Lord is one of the highest ranking military officers to be dismissed from this country's armed forces for inappropriate behaviour. The married father-of-three, who was previously entrusted with leading investigations into sexual abuse within the Royal Navy, has also been stripped off his commission. Sir Ben, 59, was ordered to step back from his duties in May over claims of an affair with a female officer. It then emerged last month how the probe into his conduct was launched following a complaint by the husband of the female officer. The non-serving husband filed a formal complaint to the Ministry of Defence when he learned of his wife's behaviour. The subsequent inquiry looked into whether Sir Ben's affair breached strict regulations barring sexual relations between commanders and those in their chain of command. Sir Ben, who is understood to be a practicing Christian had been considered a candidate to lead the UK's armed forces. In a statement released tonight, he said: 'Serving as First Sea Lord has been one of the greatest privileges of my life, and I pay tribute to the dedicated and professional Officers, Sailors, Royal Marines and Civil Servants who make up the Royal Navy. 'I deeply regret my conduct in the spring of last year, which fell well below the standard I set for myself and that which I set for the Royal Navy. As such, I fully accept the decision of the Defence Council. 'I am very sorry to those I have hurt personally, and I apologise to everyone who serves with the Royal Navy. 'Finally, I am very grateful for the support of my wife, family and friends during a very difficult time.'
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Avon Fire Authority chair resigns over 'unwanted' behaviour
The chair of the Avon Fire Authority has resigned after accusations of inappropriate behaviour against two members of staff. Ben Nutland is still sitting as a South Gloucestershire councillor but is now serving as an independent after being suspended by the Liberal allegations centre on an event after a conference dinner at Bristol's Hilton Hotel in November 2024, during which it is claimed he followed a fire service employee to her hotel room. Mr Nutland suggested his drink may have been spiked, but no evidence to support this claim was found by the panel investigating the complaint. The allegations against Mr Nutland only came to light following the publication of a report published by the the Avon Fire Authority's governance and oversight committee hearing earlier this month. Mr Nutland resigned in December after being notified of the complaint, the report states. The committee's report states that the allegations from both women relate to a party following a dinner at the Asian Fire Service Association conference, during which he allegedly called one woman - referred to only as "employee one" - "stunning". 'Very uncomfortable' He is claimed to have asked the woman if she wanted to "go upstairs" with him, before following her back to her room and going inside and taking off his jacket and shoes and getting on to her bed. The panel investigating the complaint heard that the woman had asked him to leave, which he did with no physical contact, but had described his behaviour as "unwanted" and making her "very uncomfortable". The second employee to make a complaint claimed that Mr Nutland had twice attempted to get her to dance with him, despite clearly being told she did not want to. She felt harassed to the point she did not want to return to her car alone that night, a panel heard. Mr Nutland, the report said, claimed not to recall behaving in this manner but had said he "did encourage others to join the dancing". The report noted that Mr Nutland had made a "full" and "heartfelt" apology for his actions and had suggested his drink had been spiked. The fire authority panel found that Mr Nutland had breached the code of conduct on three counts in relation to the complaint made by employee one, and on once count in relation to employee two. A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council said they had been formally notified of a breach of the fire authority's code of conduct. As Mr Nutland was appointed to his role by the council, the spokesperson continued, it was now being considered how the matter should be handled under the councillor code of conduct.
