What started as a celebrated career in food and television has now become a complicated storm of accusations and personal revelations.
Gregg Wallace, long known for his booming voice and energetic presence on MasterChef, is now at the centre of an intense misconduct scandal—one he’s fiercely denying.
Friends Defend Gregg’s Behaviour as Autism-Related
Close friends of the 60-year-old TV personality are stepping in, suggesting that some of Gregg’s inappropriate behaviour can be traced back to his autism.
According to a report in The Times, they say Gregg has long struggled with sensory sensitivities and social boundaries, which may explain things like his well-known discomfort with wearing underwear—due to a hypersensitivity to clothing labels and tightness.
One friend noted that many of the issues stem from “oddities of filters and boundaries” linked to his diagnosis.
In fact, most of the language-related complaints apparently date back to before 2018, which is when Gregg reportedly became more aware of how his actions were being perceived.
“He stopped going out with the crew and quit telling jokes,” said one source.
“He realised he wasn’t always sure what was appropriate and what crossed the line.”
Legal Battle Brewing Over Dismissal
The situation turned more serious when The Daily Telegraph reported that Gregg is now preparing to sue both the BBC and MasterChef’s production company, Banijay UK, over what he considers an unfair dismissal.
A source claimed many people on set had quietly suspected Gregg might be autistic for years—long before his diagnosis.
Still, that hasn’t stopped the industry from reacting strongly to the allegations now coming to light.
Watchdog Says ‘Cheeky’ Persona Doesn’t Excuse Behaviour
Baroness Helena Kennedy, chair of the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority, made it clear that Gregg’s “cheeky chappie” image is no excuse.
In her words, the public never saw “the uglier side” of the former host’s off-camera behaviour.
Just this week, the BBC confirmed it received 50 new complaints about Wallace.
Among those were allegations that he groped a co-worker on the set of MasterChef.
Eleven women have specifically accused him of inappropriate sexual behaviour, including physical touching and crude remarks.
Gregg Wallace Denies the Claims in a Public Statement
As the official misconduct report looms—expected to be published this Thursday—Gregg has gone on the offensive.
In a strongly worded post on social media, he said he’d already been cleared of the “most serious and sensational accusations” and labelled the rest as “uncorroborated tittle-tattle.”
A spokesperson for Wallace added that he is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation led by law firm Lewis Silkin, which was commissioned by Banijay UK.
Will Gregg Get a Payout or Nothing at All?
Due to recent cost-cutting efforts by the BBC, it’s looking unlikely that Wallace will walk away with any redundancy payout from the broadcaster.
However, depending on the outcome of the investigation and legal action, he could still end up with a six-figure settlement if a tribunal rules in his favour.
BBC and Banijay Remain Tight-Lipped as Report Nears
For now, both the BBC and Banijay UK are staying silent until the full findings of the internal investigation are released.
A BBC spokesperson simply stated that Banijay had instructed legal experts to dig into the allegations but offered no further comment.
As for Wallace, his team continues to insist he never engaged in any behaviour that qualifies as sexual harassment—and he’s standing by that claim as the public and media wait for Thursday’s official report.