Masterchef presenter denies making inappropriate sexual comments

MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace has denied allegations of inappropriate sexual comments he made to a female colleague.

The Sun reported that Wallace was reported to BBC bosses after he was accused of taking off his top and bragging about his sex life to a woman on Impossible Celebrities in 2018.

But in an Instagram Story posted Monday, Wallace said the incident was under investigation at the time and the conclusion was that “I didn’t say anything sexual.”

The BBC said it “does not tolerate any form of inappropriate behavior” and has “robust processes”.

Wallace was contacted by the BBC for comment.

According to an unnamed source in The Sun, Wallace was accused of making “consistently inappropriate comments” to the younger woman while working on the panel show.

“Gregg seemed to think it was all in jest and also reportedly made some comments in front of the live audience,” the source said.

He is also said to have discussed his sex life with his then-partner.

“The team working on the show were embarrassed and told BBC executives what had happened,” the source said.

Wallace took to social media on Monday to respond to the claims, posting two Instagram Stories.

In the first part he said the story was “immediately investigated when it happened six years ago by the BBC and the conclusion was that I had said nothing sexual.”

“Do I have to repeat that again? I didn’t say anything sexual. Thank you for your time.”

He then posted a second story in which he said, “Six years ago, no one accused me of flirting with anyone or hitting on anyone.”

“The reason I say this is because of my wife Anna. I have always remained faithful to my wife Anna.”

He added that in the 12 years he’s been with his wife, he’s “never flirted or hit on anyone.”

“So that people don’t misunderstand, it’s important that I be faithful to my wife.”

Wallace is best known as the co-host of the cooking show MasterChef.

The allegations come at a difficult time for the BBC. Earlier this year, the company’s former senior news presenter, Huw Edwards, said received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to the image offense of child sexual abuse.

In August, Jermaine Jenas, who hosted The One Show and appeared on BBC’s Match of the Day, presented was fired by the company after complaints about behavior in the workplace.

A BBC spokesman said: “While we do not comment on individuals, when issues are raised they are dealt with quickly and appropriately. “We do not tolerate any inappropriate behavior and have robust processes in place.”

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