Former BBC presenter Gregg Wallace has defended himself in his first interview since stepping down from his hosting duties following complaints about his behavior and language behind the scenes.
Wallace left his high-profile hosting gig on the BBC’s MasterChef in November 2024, and this weekend he told the Daily Mail newspaper the “tidal wave of abuse” he received left him considering suicide, thinking, “Is my insurance up to date? Will [Wallace’s wife] Anna get some money? She doesn’t deserve this. It would be better if I wasn’t here.”
An investigation by BBC News – which works independently of the BBC’s programme makers – revealed allegations o f inappropriate sexual comments by 13 people who had worked with Wallace across a range of shows, over a 17-year-period.
Since then, further claims of “groping” and “touching” have emerged, all of which Wallace has strenuously denied, adding that he had phoned several co-presenters and guests who had supported his version of events.
He told the Daily Mail he’d realised about seven years ago that the brash, energetic, outspoken greengrocer persona he first brought to his hosting duties was no longer appropriate, and he changed. He also referred to his recent autism diagnosis of which, he said, “I’m not blaming my behaviour on my diagnosis, but it does explain a hell of a lot to me.”
MasterChef‘s production company Banijay has also launched an inquiry into the historical allegations. Both investigations have yet to report their findings.
When he stood down while the BBC investigated the claims, Wallace arguably made things worse for himself by posting a video on social media, in which he said “the allegations came from ‘a handful of middle-class women of a certain age.”
At that point, even the UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer called the presenter’s remarks “inappropriate and misogynistic.”
The BBC has since announced that the show will return with Wallace replaced by restaurant critic Grace Dent.
