Gregg Wallace has broken his silence following the release of a report that substantiated 45 out of 83 allegations against him, stating he is “relieved” that the most serious claims were not upheld.
The 60-year-old former MasterChef presenter, who was sacked by the BBC last week, issued a statement acknowledging that some of his “humour and language missed the mark” whilst apologising for any distress caused.
“For eight months, my family and I have lived under a cloud. Trial by media, fuelled by rumour and clickbait. None of the serious allegations against me were upheld,” Wallace said.
He added: “I challenged the remaining issue of unwanted touching but have had to accept a difference in perception, and I am deeply sorry for any distress caused. It was never intended.”
Wallace revealed he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder during the seven-month investigation, which he said has helped him understand how he communicates and is perceived.
“A late autism diagnosis has helped me understand how I communicate and how I’m perceived. I’m still learning,” he stated.
The TV chef accused the BBC of leaving him “exposed to trial by media” and failing to protect him, warning that “modern broadcasting has become a dangerous place” for someone with his “direct manner”.
“In the end, the BBC left me exposed to trial by media and the damage it leaves in its wake,” Wallace said, adding that he would consider his “next move” with “full legal support”.
He warned: “I was the headline this time. But I won’t be the last.”
The BBC has announced it has “no plans to work with him in the future” and apologised to everyone impacted by Wallace’s behaviour.
“The investigation details a substantial number of allegations of inappropriate conduct spanning 19 years.
“This behaviour falls below the values of the BBC and the expectations we have for anyone who works with or for us,” the broadcaster stated.
The BBC acknowledged that “opportunities were missed to address this behaviour – both by the production companies running MasterChef and the BBC.
“We accept more could and should have been done sooner,” the statement continued.
The corporation thanked those who participated in the investigation, including individuals who first raised concerns in November last year.
A decision on whether to broadcast the upcoming series of MasterChef featuring Wallace has not yet been made.
The investigation by law firm Lewis Silkin found that the majority of substantiated allegations related to inappropriate sexual language and humour, with 94 per cent occurring between 2005 and 2018.
A small number of allegations regarding Wallace being in a state of undress and one claim of unwanted physical contact were also upheld.
The report noted Wallace’s autism diagnosis as “highly relevant” in understanding his difficulty reading social cues and use of humour as a “masking technique”.
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Two additional allegations were substantiated relating to other individuals, involving inappropriate language including swearing and racist language between 2012 and 2018/2019.
The BBC stated it takes these findings “very seriously” and has asked production company Banijay UK to address these issues as a priority.
