Gregg Wallace’s long-standing tenure as host of MasterChef has come to a definitive end after an independent investigation upheld 45 allegations of inappropriate behavior, including sexual comments and unwanted physical contact.
The findings, commissioned by MasterChef producer Banijay and conducted by law firm Lewis Silkin, concluded Wallace’s return to the franchise is “untenable.” The six-page executive summary reveals the complaints span from 2005 to 2024, most of them from the early years of his career on the show.
“The volume and consistency of substantiated allegations, ranging between 2005 and 2024, make Gregg Wallace’s return to MasterChef untenable,” said Banijay UK boss Patrick Holland. Wallace had been stood down late last year after complaints surfaced, including from former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark.
Among the substantiated claims were incidents of “inappropriate sexual language and humor,” a verified instance of unwelcome physical contact, and at least one case of Wallace being in a state of undress. In total, 83 allegations were investigated, with 45 substantiated. Notably, only one occurred in the past five years.
The report also casts a critical eye on how complaints were historically handled. Between 2005 and 2011, eight formal or informal complaints were raised—some to the BBC, others to production companies. Yet responses were inconsistent, and Wallace was often left unaware of the concerns raised against him.
“There was a failure to retain records of any action taken,” the report stated, adding that even when handled formally, complaints were not always clearly conveyed to Wallace. The lack of record-keeping prevented assessment of whether those actions had any meaningful impact.
“Whilst it makes for uncomfortable reading,” said Holland, adding “it also provides valuable insight to ensure that going forward everyone working on our productions feels safe and supported.” Banijay will now roll out an externally run whistleblowing service across all its productions.
The report also substantiated two standalone allegations against other individuals on MasterChef between 2012 and 2019—one involving “racist language” and another related to “swearing.” These are currently being addressed.
The BBC, which co-broadcasts MasterChef, acknowledged its own shortcomings. “Opportunities were missed to address this behaviour – both by the production companies running MasterChef and the BBC,” the broadcaster said. “We apologise to everyone who has been impacted by Mr Wallace’s behaviour.”
The report also acknowledged Wallace’s recent autism diagnosis, which he cited in a personal statement last week. Investigators stated the diagnosis should be considered in context, particularly regarding his difficulty reading social cues and his use of humor as a “masking” strategy.
“Mr Wallace accepts that his diagnosis may help to explain some of his actions, but he does not wish to hide behind it,” the summary noted.
The last season Wallace filmed remains unaired. While Grace Dent has already been named his replacement, the BBC said “we are not going to make a final decision on the broadcast of the series that was filmed last year.” It previously pulled Christmas specials last year featuring Wallace.
Philippa Childs of broadcasting union Bectu criticized the slow response:
“It is entirely unacceptable that complaints have been raised consistently over the last two decades, and yet only in the last few months has any concrete action been taken.”
Childs called on the industry to do more than offer improved procedures: “It is clear these measures are wholly insufficient.” She urged the findings to serve as a “learning moment.”
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