MasterChef producer Banijay UK, the parent of both Manchester indie Workerbee and Glasgow non-fiction specialist IWC Media, has shared a summary of its report into historical allegations of misconduct against disgraced Masterchef presenter Greg Wallace [pictured, right], upholding more than half of the 83 allegations currently outstanding against him.
The report was carried out by independent law firm Lewis Silkin over seven months and said the number of sustained allegations made Wallace’s return to MasterChef “untenable.”
Last week it emerged he had been sacked as MasterChef presenter, with reports of more than 50 fresh allegations against him.
In a statement on Monday, Wallace said “some of [his] humour and language missed the mark,” adding that, after nearly 20 years on MasterChef, “I now see that certain patterns, shaped by traits I’ve only recently begun to understand, may have been misread.”
Wallace, who said a “late autism diagnosis” had helped him understand how he is “perceived” also criticised the BBC, saying the corporation had left him “exposed to trial by media.”
“For a working-class man with a direct manner, modern broadcasting has become a dangerous place. I was the headline this time. But I won’t be the last,” he said. “There will be more casualties if the BBC continues down this path, where protecting its legacy matters more than protecting people. For my part, with full legal support, I will consider my next move.”
Banijay’s investigation heard evidence from 78 witnesses, including 41 complainants. The investigations team spoke to Wallace three times for the report, conducting 14 hours of interviews with him.
There were 83 allegations against Wallace, and 45 of them were upheld. All were related to MasterChef.
The upheld allegations were:
• Twelve claims he made inappropriate jokes and innuendo;
• Sixteen reports he made sexually explicit comments;
• Two allegations that he made sexualised comments to or about someone;
• Four complaints that he made culturally insensitive or racist comments;
• Three claims that he was in a state of undress;
• Seven allegations of bullying;
• One allegation of unwanted touching.
Nearly all the allegations against Wallace were related to behaviour which is said to have occurred between 2005 and 2018, with just one substantiated allegation taking place since 2018.
Ahead of the publication of the summary, Wallace had said he had been “cleared of the most serious and sensational accusations” made against him.
Additionally, the report summary said there were 10 standalone allegations about other people between 2012 and 2018/2019, two of which were substantiated. These were unrelated to Wallace, and those people were not named in the summary.
The investigation found that complaints against Wallace had previously been raised with the production company between 2005 and 2024.
While the report flagged inadequate reporting procedures before 2016, when Endemol merged with Shine ahead of Banijay acquiring Endemol Shine in 2020, it said there were significant improvements to HR processes and training after 2016.
The investigation added that some formal action was taken by the BBC in 2017, but it also noted the corporation held no information regarding concerns raised over Wallace centrally, resulting in issues being addressed as a first offence.
Responding to the findings of the report, the BBC said the corporation had “no plans to work with [Wallace] in future” and that his behaviour “falls below” its values.
The BBC said “opportunities were missed” to address Wallace’s behaviour, adding, “We accept more could and should have been done sooner”.
Concerning the allegations against other individuals flagged in the report, the BBC said they had asked Banijay UK to take action to address these issues, and said it would “be completed as a priority.”
The corporation has yet to decide if the unseen MasterChef series that was filmed with Wallace last year will still be aired.
Banijay UK chief executive Patrick Holland called the report “uncomfortable reading.”
Addressing Wallace’s recent autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, Holland said Wallace’s neurodiversity was “relevant to certain behaviours identified in the report,” and conceded that “the production could have done more to identify, manage and communicate patterns of inappropriate behaviour.”
It’s been a Monday to forget all round for BBC top brass today. Elsewhere, the broadcaster’s internal review into the documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, found that the doc breached editorial guidelines on accuracy by failing to disclose the narrator was the son of a Hamas official. The show was pulled from iPlayer in February when the boy’s family connections emerged and today’s findings have led to calls in some quarters for BBC director general Tim Davie to consider his position. The review found that the independent production company, Hoyo Films, bears most of the responsibility for the failure, but also noted that the BBC bore some responsibility and should have done more in its oversight. The The BBC conceded that the programme should not have been signed off, and it was taking appropriate action on accountability.
