MasterChef contestant claims Gregg Wallace 'constantly' made sexual innuendos and reveals one that left her in tears
A former MasterChef contestant has claimed that Gregg Wallace humiliated her and drove her to tears with a sexually inappropriate comment during filming.
A former MasterChef contestant has claimed that Gregg Wallace humiliated her and drove her to tears with a sexually inappropriate comment during filming.
Jackie Kearney, a chef and author who finished fourth in the BBC hit show in 2011, claimed Wallace made sexual innuendos constantly in front of crew members.
Wallace, 60, has stepped away from hosting MasterChef after nearly 20 years while allegations of inappropriate comments he made towards staff and celebrity guests over 17 years are investigated.
He is facing claims from at least 13 women who have accused him of inappropriate behaviour, including roaming around on set naked with a sock on his penis, inappropriate jokes and groping crew members.
The presenter has defended himself, pinning the blame on middle class women of a certain age. But today he apologised for his comments, saying he was not in a good head space when he posted the rant.
But the scandal deepened tonight as Ms Kearney has spoken about how Wallace left her breaking down in tears in the toilets after making a lewd joke about his penis.
She told Sky News: There were several times that he would comment on my legs, or comment on the skirts I was wearing... he made a comment once: "If Id known you had legs like that, maybe youd have made it further".
Ms Kearney returned to MasterChef as a guest judge in 2017, where she hoped to impress Wallace and co-host John Torode with her book about vegan food which she had published two years prior.
But recalling how the interaction went, she claimed: I came into the studio and was like, Hi Gregg, Ive got something for you! And he said, Oh, is it a present for my c*ck?
Jackie Kearney (pictured), a chef and author who finished fourth in the BBC hit show in 2011, claimed Wallace made sexual innuendos constantly in front of crew members.
The celebrity chef apologised for any offence I caused after his controversial comments on Instagram on the weekend
The BBC have decided to go ahead and broadcast the rest of Masterchef: The Professionals, which will conclude on December 12
Ms Kearney said the comment left her feeling humiliated and embarrassed and that she broke down in tears in the toilets.
She said she also walked around hating what she was wearing because Wallace had allegedly already made a comment about her legs earlier in the day.
Ms Kearney thought that someone would check up on her, but that nobody said anything. She claims that Wallace was miced up when he made the sexual comment.
The chef claims that Wallace created an environment where his sexual remarks were normalised in way that you would expect to see in a 90s lads mag.
As pressure mounts on Wallace and the BBC, best-selling author Marisa Mackle also claimed the MasterChef host ruined her birthday with lewd sex comments for up to two hours.
Ms Mackle claims that she flew to a five-star resort in Marbella for her 40th birthday in 2013 to enjoy a Michael Bolton show before sharing dinner a restaurant with the singer and Lord Sugar.
But her night was allegedly ruined when she was moved to a table for dessert with her friends next to Wallace who she claims was bragging about sex positions.
Ms Mackle told The Mirror: Up until I sat down beside Gregg Wallace that was probably the best night of my life, and he turned it into one of the worst nights of my life. Ive been saying for years that man, hes just got a foul mouth on him.
She added: I dont mind people being loud and laughing, but the next minute, I was like, hearing all this really vulgar stuff about this man. I didnt know who he was. It was just this loud English accent talking about sex positions, you know, a favourite sex position.
A spokesman for Banijay UK, MasterChefs producers, said: Banijay UK takes this matter incredibly seriously but while the external investigation is ongoing, we wont be commenting on individual allegations.
It is important to note, that MasterChef welfare processes are regularly adapted and strengthened and there are clear protocols to support both crew and contributors. These include multiple ways of reporting issues, including anonymously.
HR contact details are promoted, and contributors are assigned a point of contact on set available to discuss any issues or concerns.
Wallaces representatives were approached for comment.
It comes as BBC aired the Masterchef: The Professionals semi-final tonight, despite growing calls to pull the broadcast following the Gregg Wallace scandal.
Executives at the corporation held crisis meetings today as the claims about Wallace threatened to undermine its Christmas schedule, which includes two MasterChef specials.
The BBC have decided to go ahead and broadcast the rest of Masterchef: The Professionals, which will conclude on December 12, and the two Christmas editions, while they await the conclusion of the investigation into Wallace by production company Banijay.
It is understood that the BBC and Banijay have been scouring the forthcoming episodes of MasterChef that have yet to air for any sexually inappropriate comments by Wallace.
With four episodes yet to air, Masterchef: The Professionals is a key part of the BBCs festive schedule. Masterchef itself also supports a lucrative merchandising operation, with knives and cookware featured in the series sold as Christmas gifts.
Following speculation about the fate of tonights MasterChef semi-final, a BBC spokesman told the Mail earlier in the day: MasterChef is life-changing for the chefs that take part and the show is about more than one individual.
Wallaces Wife Anne-Marie Sterpini was seen looking downcast as she was pictured in Kent today
Wallace continued to address the scandal today, this time apologising for pinning the blame on middle class women of a certain age.
In a fresh video on social media posted this afternoon, the under-fire presenter said of his middle class women slur: I wasnt in a good headspace when I posted it. Ive been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion.
I felt very alone [and] under siege yesterday when I posted it. Its obvious to me I need to take some time out now while this investigation is underway.
I hope you understand and I do hope that you can accept my apology.
Wallaces lawyers say it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.
It came as Sir Keir Starmer said Wallace was completely inappropriate and misogynistic for blaming middle class women of a certain age for his MasterChef ruination amid growing pressure on the BBC to take the show off air.
And in a further sign of Wallaces fury, he has today unfollowed co-host John Torode and his wife on social media.
After spending nearly two decades presenting Britains best-loved cooking show together, the legacy of famed duo Gregg Wallace and John Torode appears to have come crashing down in just a matter of months.
Torode has not uttered a word on Wallaces MasterChef exit, despite working together since 2005.
But previous comments in which he admitted he had never been a friend of Wallaces, as well as claims about them moving to opposite sides of the room when the cameras cut, show that all was not well in their partnership.
Wallace stepped down from MasterChef last week after it was revealed that 13 people, including Newsnight host Kirsty Wark, accused him of wrong and inappropriate sexualised behaviour during filming.
Former Celebrity MasterChef contestants say they raised concerns about Wallaces alleged behaviour as far back as 12 years ago, with actress Emma Kennedy - who won the series in 2012 - alleging she had witnessed Wallace grope a camera assistant during a photo shoot that year.
The grocer turned broadcaster appeared to make things worse yesterday when he posted a series of incendiary videos online where he hit back at critics by saying: Can you imagine how many women on MasterChef, female contestants, have made sexual remarks or sexual innuendo?
Wallace had said: Ive been doing MasterChef for 20 years, amateur, celebrity and professional MasterChef, and I think, in that time, I have worked with over 4,000 contestants of all different ages, all different backgrounds, all walks of life.
Gregg Wallace posted on Instagram on Sunday hitting back at the allegations made against him - claiming they were all from middle-class women of a certain age
Gregg Wallace (right) has been co-host of BBC1 show MasterChef alongside John Torode (left)
Actress Emma Kennedy (pictured), who won Celebrity MasterChef in 2012, has alleged that she witnessed Wallace grope a camera assistant during a photo shoot that same year
Apparently now, Im reading in the paper, theres been 13 complaints in that time. I can see the complaints coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age, just from Celebrity MasterChef. This isnt right.
But his posts caused outrage and were branded shocking and laced with thinly veiled misogyny - and did not touch on the sexual allegations made by numerous MasterChef celebrities, producers and contestants on the show he left last week.
One insider told MailOnline today: Gregg has gone rogue and ignored all advice. Another expert said: He needs to shut up.
Ulrika Jonsson, who competed on Celebrity MasterChef in 2017, saying she was seething after seeing the comments - while Kirstie Allsopp described his response as unacceptable.
And Mark Borkowski, one of the UKs leading PR gurus and crisis managers, told MailOnline today that Wallace was only listening to his own ego instead of advice, adding: The first law of PR in a crisis is never let your emotions rule your Instagram.
There are also allegations related to four other shows Wallace worked on.
There are 13 people, including Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, who have formally complained about Wallaces behaviour over a 17-year period across five shows, between 2005 and 2022.
The Sunday Times yesterday reported that BBC executive Kate Phillips raised concerns Wallaces behaviour was unacceptable and cannot continue after broadcaster and former Celebrity MasterChef contestant Aasmah Mir complained about inappropriate comments during filming.
Co-host of Masterchef The Professionals Monica Galetti (right) appeared to throw her support behind the beleaguered chef last week
BBC News said it had been told of other allegations, including the presenter talking openly about his sex life among others
Gregg Wallace and his wife Anne-Marie pictured at the London Palladium in July
The newspaper claimed Wallace received another warning the following year after a complaint was raised about his behaviour on the quiz show Impossible Celebrities.
Meanwhile, the Sunday Telegraph reported that producer Georgia Harding, who worked on MasterChef between 2014 and 2015 and later Eat Well For Less, claimed she raised concerns about inappropriate behaviour from him while working on the show.
She alleged the presenter undressed in front of colleagues and made inappropriate sexual jokes in front of the crew and people appearing on the shows, and said nothing was done about concerns raised, claiming there was an acceptance of his behaviour.
Wallace has also been accused of being obsessed with a female colleague who was dating a woman, and repeatedly asked how questions about the logistics.
Meanwhile more claims about Wallaces alleged behaviour continue to appear.
TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp claimed Wallace made an inappropriate sexual joke to her while she was on Masterchef.
She wrote on X, formerly Twitter: Within 1hr of meeting Gregg Wallace he told me of a sex act that he & his partner at the time enjoyed every morning, shed just left the room, we were filming a pilot. Did he get off on how embarrassed I was? It was totally unprofessional.
And previously aired clips from shows Wallace has appeared on, including Masterchef and Strictly Come Dancing - where he was a contestant in 2014 - are resurfacing in light of the recent allegations.
In a resurfaced clip from his Strictly stint Gregg, then 50, left Aliona, 30, visibly uncomfortable following his wardrobe malfunction.
After tearing his trousers he confessed, giggling: I dont wear underwear while gesturing to his crotch, leaving his stunned partner to asked: Are you for real?.
Beaming he explained, while shaking his hips : Its easy to move with [no underwear] Ive never worn underwear. I wear socks.
Aliona then told the camera: Im just way too distressed about the situation before begging him to put it away as he seemingly teased her, with viewers only seeing the grocer from the waist up.
Meanwhile Charlotte Crosby branded Gregg extremely unpleasant on Instagram as she joined celebrities slamming the BBC star.
Gregg Wallace, 60, left Strictly partner Aliona Vilani distressed during show rehearsals as he touched his crotch after ripping his trousers and declared he never wears underwear
Aliona then told the camera: Im just way too distressed about the situation before begging him to put it away as he seemingly teased her, with the camera only showing the grocer from the waist up
Charlotte Crosby branded Gregg extremely unpleasant on Instagram as she joined celebrities slamming the BBC star
She wrote: He [Gregg] was extremely unpleasant to me when I was on MasterChef.
Actress Katy Brand has also broken her silence about the awkward moment Gregg told her he would munch the living daylights out of her little tart on Celebrity MasterChef.
A shocking video from the 2013 series of the programme shows Wallace making the apparent innuendo about the comedians egg tart.
The grocer turned broadcaster tells Brand: I find this quite pleasant. Left to my own devices, Id probably munch the living daylights out of your little tart.
Reacting to the resurfaced video of Wallaces tart comment, Brand called the encounter awkward and recalled her immediate shock and disbelief at the crass and idiotic joke.
I took it as an innuendo-laden remark at the time, and I still see it that way now, she said.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has held talks with BBC bosses in the wake of the Wallace row, Downing Street said.
The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: The Culture Secretary spoke with the BBC leadership at the end of last week on this matter and wider workplace culture issues to seek assurances that there are robust processes in place to deal with complaints.
Clearly the comments we have seen from the individual over the weekend were completely inappropriate and misogynistic.
More broadly the BBC is conducting an independent review into workplace culture which must deliver clear and timely recommendations. Its essential that staff and the wider public have confidence that the BBC takes these issues seriously.
Asked whether MasterChef should be pulled off air, the spokesman added the decision was for the BBC and the shows production company, and reiterated that Downing Street believes it is right that a thorough investigation is conducted.
The production company Banijay UK confirmed it had appointed law firm Lewis Silkin to lead an investigation into Wallaces alleged behaviour.
A BBC spokesperson said: We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them. We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.
Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them.
It would be inappropriate for us to comment on anything that could form part of Banijays ongoing investigation or otherwise influence it.
