The show’s production company, Banijay UK, announced in November 2024 that Wallace would be stepping away from his role on MasterChef while historical allegations of misconduct were investigated.
The report, led by law firm Lewis Silkin, found that the “majority of the allegations against Mr Wallace (94%) related to behaviour which is said to have occurred between 2005 and 2018”, with only one allegation substantiated after 2018.
The report also concluded that the “majority of the substantiated allegations against Mr Wallace related to inappropriate sexual language and humour”.
45 allegations against MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace substantiated
The report added “a smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also substantiated”, with “one incident of unwelcome physical contact”.
It noted that during the seven-month period over the course of the investigation, Wallace was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and said that the findings should be viewed in the context of his neurodiversity.
During the investigation, it was also found that “10 standalone allegations were made against other people, two of which were substantiated”.
Wallace, 60, has been “co-operative and forthcoming” and was interviewed three times by the investigations team, for a total of 14 hours of interview.
But Banijay UK said that “Wallace’s return to MasterChef is untenable” following the number of sustained allegations.
Patrick Holland, chief executive of Banijay UK, said that while the report “makes for uncomfortable reading, highlighting failures in legacy reporting and HR procedures”, it also provided “valuable insight to ensure that going forward everyone working on our productions feels safe and supported, and that inappropriate behaviour is quickly and professionally dealt with”.
Mr Holland added: “In earlier years, specifically prior to 2016 where the vast majority of these issues arose, it is clear that escalation procedures were not as robust as they should have been, and awareness of policies and procedures were lacking particularly amongst freelance staff.”
He said Wallace would not be returning to MasterChef, adding: “We are extremely sorry to anyone who has been impacted by this behaviour and felt unable to speak up at the time or that their complaint was not adequately addressed.
“MasterChef is a much-loved show which, year in, year out, changes the lives and careers of contestants, amateur and professional alike.
“It’s made by a brilliant team of outstanding professionals and we look forward to bringing more exceptional cooking to screens in the coming months and years.”
The BBC also said it has “informed” Wallace that it has “no plans to work with him in future”, adding in a statement: “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.
“Although the full extent of these issues were not known at the relevant time, 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.”
Last year, a BBC News investigation revealed a string of allegations of inappropriate sexual comments and alleged inappropriate behaviour against Wallace by 13 people who worked with him across a range of shows over a 17-year period, including former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark.
A statement from Wallace’s lawyers at the time said that it “is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”, as reported by BBC News.
In December, Wallace claimed in an Instagram video that complaints about his behaviour came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”.
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After a backlash, he apologised for any “offence” or “upset” caused and said he would “take some time out”.
Ahead of the official publishing of the external review, Wallace claimed in an Instagram post on July 8 that he had been cleared of the “most serious and sensational accusations” against him.
He added that his neurodiversity had “now formally (been) diagnosed as autism”, saying in the social media post that it was “suspected and discussed by colleagues across countless seasons of MasterChef”.
Representatives of Gregg Wallace have been contacted for a comment in regards to the report.
