Former MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has issued a public apology six months after being dismissed by the BBC following an investigation into allegations of misconduct. A report substantiated 45 claims against the television personality, including incidents of unwelcome physical contact and inappropriate behaviour.
A Lengthy Apology and Admission of Fault
In a detailed 1,000-word post on Substack, Wallace expressed deep regret for his actions and for his initial defensive reaction to the complaints. He specifically apologised for previously dismissing the allegations as coming from "middle-class women of a certain age", calling that statement "stupid, defensive, and arrogant".
The investigation into Wallace's conduct examined a total of 83 allegations. The majority of the upheld claims related to inappropriate sexual language and humour, alongside culturally insensitive or racist remarks. One substantiated claim involved unwelcome physical contact, and three others concerned being in a state of undress.
Comparing Conduct to Other TV Shows
While accepting responsibility for the impact of his behaviour, Wallace argued that the nature of his comments was comparable to innuendos commonly heard on other popular television programmes. He stated that his intent was to fit into a "boisterous workplace environment" which he claims was engineered from the top down.
"We'd make jokes you'd see on any episode of Bake Off, suggestive comments like the ones that regularly show up on The 1% Club," Wallace wrote. He confessed to relying heavily on sexual innuendo, believing it was part of the expected culture on set.
A Culture of Humour and Missed Opportunities
Wallace revealed that he first became aware his language was problematic in 2018, when he received a formal warning for comments made on another show. He described subsequently finding work "terrifying", as he became confused about what constituted acceptable behaviour.
The BBC itself acknowledged failures in handling the situation earlier. When Wallace was fired, the corporation apologised to those impacted and admitted that "opportunities were missed to address" his conduct, accepting that more should have been done sooner.
Of the 83 allegations, the vast majority (94%) pertained to behaviour alleged to have occurred between 2005 and 2018. Wallace capped his apology by stating he was sorry for any upset caused and acknowledged that contestants may have feared speaking out could affect their competition chances.
