Gregg Wallace has launched a fresh defence against allegations of misconduct on MasterChef, claiming the 45 upheld complaints against him represented a ‘pile on’ rather than a pattern of sustained behaviour over two decades.
The presenter, who was axed from the BBC series last July in the wake of the allegations, insisted that only two complaints were ever raised during his 20-year tenure.
He said the remaining 43 emerged only after ‘sensationalised (and untrue)’ initial allegations became public in late 2024.
In an explosive new Substack post on Tuesday, Gregg, 61, claimed the investigation process was ‘not a legal one’ and that ‘the standard of proof would not stand up in a court of law’, comparing it instead to an internal human resources (HR) process.
He alleged an ‘open invitation’ was sent out asking anyone who had ‘ever worked with me (or met me) to come forward and tell their stories’ after his reputation was already ‘being dragged through the mud’.
The presenter, who co-hosted the popular culinary show with John Torode, 60, for nearly 20 years, pointed out that he had interacted with ‘tens of thousands of people’ over his career, including six new contestants every filming day, changing film crews, other show participants, and attendees at charity events and industry parties.
Gregg Wallace has launched a fresh defence against allegations of misconduct on MasterChef, claiming the 45 upheld complaints against him represented a ‘pile on’
The presenter, who was axed from the BBC series last July in the wake of the allegations, insisted that only two complaints were ever raised during his 20-year tenure
‘Now, imagine that out of all those people, anyone with a grievance, a dislike, or a misremembered moment is encouraged to join in the investigation into you,’ he wrote. ‘Do you think you would survive without any complaints being made against you?’
He claimed that ‘all but one’ of the 45 upheld complaints dated from before 2018, when he says he received a formal warning about his language.
The single post-2018 complaint, he stated, involved a question he asked a Celebrity MasterChef contestant about their eating habits, which he characterised as an ‘upheld complaint of bullying’ that was raised by someone who overheard the comment rather than the individual concerned.
Gregg maintained that ‘the most serious allegations’ upheld by the investigation were ‘one instance of touching at a party 17 years ago, which I myself confirmed and believed to be consensual, and three instances of being in a state of undress that the investigation itself confirmed to be for legitimate and non-sexually-motivated reasons’.
The presenter urged his readers to compare this account with headlines about his case, stating: ‘I have many, many examples of stories about me that were published in the newspaper and found to be untrue in the investigation.’
His latest defence comes two weeks after a Substack post in which he apologised for dismissing his accusers as ‘middle-class women of a certain age’, calling the comment ‘stupid, defensive and arrogant’.
In that earlier post, Gregg had attempted to justify his inappropriate sexual language and humour by comparing it to innuendos on The Great British Bake Off, claiming he was ‘part of a noisy, energetic and sometimes crude ensemble’ rather than ‘a lone wolf making crude comments in a silent office’.
The investigation into Gregg’s conduct found that 83 allegations were made against him in total, with 45 being upheld.
He said the remaining 43 emerged only after ‘sensationalised (and untrue)’ initial allegations became public in late 2024
In an explosive new Substackpost on Tuesday, Gregg, 61, claimed the investigation process was ‘not a legal one’ and that ‘the standard of proof would not stand up in a court of law’
The substantiated claims included inappropriate sexual language and humour, culturally insensitive or racist comments, one instance of unwelcome physical contact, and three instances of being in a state of undress.
The BBC apologised at the time of his dismissal to ‘everyone who has been impacted’ by his behaviour, admitting that ‘opportunities were missed to address’ his conduct and stating: ‘We accept more could and should have been done sooner.’
The corporation saiid Gregg’s behaviour ‘falls below the values of the BBC and the expectations we have for anyone who works with or for us‘.
His attempts to defend himself have been met with widespread criticism, with many commentators pointing out that even by his own account, dozens of people felt sufficiently uncomfortable with his behaviour to make formal complaints when given the opportunity.
The presenter has been attempting to rebuild his career since the scandal, launching a personal training business on Instagram and routinely sharing recipes on social media.
His former co-host John stepped down from the show in July 2025 due to an allegation of using ‘an extremely offensive racist term’ in the workplace in 2018.
John denied the allegation and said he had ‘no recollection’ of the incident, claiming he only found out about his sacking through media reports rather than being informed by the BBC or production company Banijay.
