Former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace has launched a legal claim against the BBC over his dismissal, according to court records. The data protection claim, filed in the High Court last week, is understood to request the disclosure of confidential documents about his sacking.
Wallace was dropped by the BBC in July after an independent report by law firm Lewis Silkin substantiated 45 allegations against him, including claims of inappropriate sexual language and one incident of unwelcome physical contact. MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK and the BBC said they had agreed that “Mr Wallace’s return to MasterChef is untenable”. Wallace apologised “for any distress caused”, but said the report cleared him of “the most serious and sensational accusations”.
Court records showed that a legal claim was filed last Friday on Wallace’s behalf against the BBC and BBC Studios with the case type listed as “data protection”. No further details or documents for the legal action are publicly available. A BBC spokesperson said: “We have not been formally notified of any legal proceedings so at this stage we are unable to comment.”
The Lewis Silkin report noted that during its seven-month investigation, Wallace was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and said the findings should be viewed in the context of his neurodiversity. In his July response, Wallace suggested he was considering pursuing a disability claim against the BBC, saying: “A late autism diagnosis has helped me understand how I communicate and how I’m perceived. … But in the end, the BBC left me exposed to trial by media and the damage it leaves in its wake.”
Speaking to the Sun, a source said: “Gregg previously applied to see all the paperwork concerning him but was blocked by the BBC. This is why he’s had to go legal. This is the first, major step towards Gregg taking serious action.” The Lewis Silkin review also led to the sacking of Wallace’s former co-host, John Torode, who was the subject of a upheld allegation of using racist language.
