Gregg Wallace is said to be plotting a ‘secret survival plan’ after the BBC told him it had ‘no plans to work with him in future’ leaving his television career in tatters.
Source close to the star said he has vowed to relaunch himself independently on a string of digital platforms, like controversial comedian Russell Brand, who has amassed a lucrative career with 6.8m subscribers on YouTube.
Gregg, 60, is desperate to keep earning, having been side-lined since last year following a raft of allegations about his inappropriate behaviour on set at MasterChef.
A report this week substantiated 45 of the 83 allegations against him, and the BBC informed the star that it had no intention of working with him in the future.
He is now frantically seeking a new agent and planning a return to the spotlight using social media to air self-made content about food and healthy living – having watched others succeed after losing their mainstream TV work.
Gregg is said to fear financial ruin, having seen several of his businesses forced into administration with mammoth debts and he has previously admitted ‘losing everything’ was the worst experience of his life.
Gregg Wallace is said to be plotting a ‘secret survival plan’ after the BBC told him it had ‘no plans to work with him in future’ leaving his television career in tatters
Source close to the star said he has vowed to relaunch himself independently on a string of digital platforms
A report this week substantiated 45 of the 83 allegations against Gregg, and the BBC informed the star that it had no intention of working with him in the future
The father-of-three, who has had three costly divorces from his ex-wives, now lives in a five-bedroom farmhouse in Kent alongside three generations of his family, including his wife Anne-Marie Sterpini, in-laws and young son who suffers with autism – but has ‘never been great with money’ according to those who know him.
As one insider said: ‘He really should take a break from the spotlight and work out for himself what has gone wrong, he might learn a bit about himself and start to recognise the mistakes he has made, but all he can think about right now is how to keep the cash rolling in.’
‘Money is clearly at the very forefront of his mind – much more so than whether this is actually his own fault.
‘He’s telling people he needs to get straight back to work whatever it takes for financial reasons, and seems to think he can follow in the footsteps of other people who have lost prominent jobs in mainstream TV and go it alone. His biggest fear is losing everything he has worked so hard for and going bust.
‘He also wants to get himself a new agent pretty quickly to land some commercial deals – he’s had big endorsement arrangements in the past which have paid a fortune, but it’s hard to imagine any big brand wanting to snap him up at the moment.’
Instead he is widely expected to ramp up his content on YouTube and TikTok as he pursues other revenue streams outside of mainstream broadcasting.
Wallace, who has lost five stone in recent years through diet and fitness, last week launched one-on-one coaching sessions for his fans to ‘feel fitter and stronger’ for £200-a-month.
Someone who has made a career on alternative media is comedian Russell Brand who is still making thousands a week, according to his biographer, despite being dropped by his agent and having his revenue streams blocked by YouTube.
Gregg, 60, is desperate to keep earning, having been side-lined since last year following a raft of allegations about his inappropriate behaviour on set at MasterChef
It has been claimed that Russell is still raking it in with up to £25,000 per week coming into his coffers from ‘off-grid’ business ventures
The comedian was cancelled after The Sunday Times and Channel 4 revealed sexual misconduct claims in their Dispatches documentary, which Russell has strenuously denied. Russell has denied all the allegations made against him, he denies rape, assault and emotional abuse and claims all encounters were consensual.
It has been claimed that Russell is still raking it in with up to £25,000 per week coming into his coffers from ‘off-grid’ business ventures.
Tanith Carey, Russell Brand’s first biographer, previously claimed: ‘Brand may no longer be welcome on primetime TV, but even before his mainstream career was torn apart by the allegations, he was concentrating on getting a cult following on alternative social media channels where he had more control.
‘Brand now has a solid and devoted social media following, many of whom aren’t bothered at all by the sexual allegations – and who see them as part of the establishment’s conspiracy to silence him.’
Carey also claimed that Russell was taking his career in a new direction which seems to be bringing in cash galore: ‘He is finding re-branding himself as a serious revolutionary and a spiritual guru can also be lucrative.’
Meanwhile Great British Menu star Andi Oliver has been revealed as the favourite replacement MasterChef host after the BBC also sacked John Torode for ‘using an extremely offensive racist term’.
Great British Menu star Andi Oliver (pictured) has been revealed as the favourite replacement MasterChef host after the BBC sacked John Torode for ‘using a racist term’
John (pictured), 59, was axed from the cooking competition in an announcement from the broadcaster on Tuesday afternoon.
The Australian chef, 59, was axed from the cooking competition in an announcement from the broadcaster on Tuesday afternoon after the Gregg Wallace investigation also found John had once used an ‘extremely offensive racist term’, allegedly during some drinks after filming.
John posted to Instagram on Tuesday evening to say he had ‘no recollection’ of the incident and did not believe it had happened.
But in the wake of both the co-hosts’ disgrace, Gogglebox star Andi, 62, has emerged as the bookies favourite to replace them.
Bookies at What Are The Odds have said her chances stand at 5/2, or 28.6 per cent, boosted by her ‘warmth and culinary credibility’.
The chef is also helped, they said, by her ‘vibrant energy and authority’ on Great British Menu, which she has variously judged and presented since 2016.
She would make history as the first black woman to present MasterChef if she were to be given the top job.
But Andi, who is a regular on Celebrity Gogglebox with her daughter, presenter Miquita Oliver, 41, is not alone as one of the bookmakers’ top choices.
Close behind her is celebrity chef Tom Kerridge, 51, who has been rated at 3/1, or 25 per cent, for his ‘accessible cooking style’, ‘likeable media persona’ and ‘devoted following’.
‘With multiple restaurants, several BBC series, and a reputation for combining fine dining with everyday appeal, Kerridge is seen as a strong fit for MasterChef’s evolving audience’, the bookies added.
What Are The Odds analyst Dave James said: ‘Andi Oliver remains the market leader but Tom Kerridge is attracting a lot of support.
But Andi, who is a regular on Celebrity Gogglebox with her daughter, presenter Miquita Oliver, 41 (pictured together on This Morning in 2023), is not alone as one of the bookmakers’ top choices
Close behind her is celebrity chef Tom Kerridge (pictured), 51, who has been rated at 3/1, or 25 per cent
‘His profile is huge and he’s one of the most trusted names in British food. This could come down to what direction the BBC wants – prestige, relatability, or a bit of both.’
Other names which could make the cut include Poppy O’Toole, 29, a Michelin-trained chef who has skyrocketed to fame on social media as the ‘Potato Queen’.
At 4/1 or 20 per cent, she is followed by chef Angela Hartnett, 56, at 5/1 (16.7 per cent) and Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain, 40, on 6/1 or 14.3 per cent.
Stars rated below them range from TV chefs James Martin, Nigella Lawson and Marcus Wareing, to food critic Grace Dent.
Even John’s wife and fellow TV chef Lisa Faulkner, 53, still makes the top ten, at 14/1 or 6.7 per cent, despite his recent sacking.
