Gregg Wallace has filed a legal claim against the BBC over his dismissal from MasterChef, with court records showing a data protection claim lodged in the High Court last week. The claim is understood to seek disclosure of confidential documents related to his sacking.
Wallace was dropped by the BBC in July after an independent report by law firm Lewis Silkin upheld 45 allegations against him, including inappropriate sexual language and one incident of unwelcome physical contact. At the time, Wallace apologised for any distress caused but maintained the report cleared him of the most serious accusations.
The legal action, filed on Wallace's behalf against the BBC and BBC Studios, lists the case type as “data protection”. A BBC spokesperson said the corporation had not been formally notified of any proceedings and was unable to comment.
The Lewis Silkin report noted Wallace had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder during its seven-month investigation. In his July response, Wallace suggested he might pursue a disability claim, stating the BBC had left him “exposed to trial by media”.
A source told the Sun that Wallace had previously applied to see all paperwork but was blocked by the BBC, adding this was why he had taken legal action. The source described it as the first major step toward serious action.
The same review led to the dismissal of Wallace's former co-host John Torode after an allegation of racist language was upheld. Torode said he had no recollection of the incident. The BBC confirmed the latest MasterChef series, filmed before the allegations, would be broadcast, with two contestants edited out.
