Gregg Wallace has condemned the BBC in a scathing social media post following reports that he has been fired after a nine-month sexual misconduct investigation.
The former MasterChef star took to Instagram to say that he was going public before the Silkins report was published as ‘I cannot sit in silence while my reputation is further damaged to protect others’.
He also claimed that he had been cleared of ‘the most serious and sensational accusations’.
Last year the 60-year-old confirmed he was stepping away from MasterChef amid an external review into historical allegations of sexual misconduct.
He faced accusations of making ‘inappropriate sexual jokes’ and lewd comments on set, asking for the phone numbers of female members of production staff, and undressing in front of and standing ‘too close’ to women working on his shows.
Wallace and his lawyers have fiercely denied the allegations, saying ‘it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature’.
Now, according to The Sun, Wallace says he has been left ‘furious and devastated’ by the BBC’s decision to axe him.
Writing on social media, he said: ‘After 21 years of loyal service to the BBC, I cannot sit in silence while my reputation is further damaged to protect others.
‘I have now been cleared by the Silkins report of the most serious and sensational accusations made against me.
‘The most damaging claims (including allegations from public figures which have not been upheld) were found to be baseless after a full and forensic six-month investigation.
‘My decision to go public now is also driven by the fact the BBC News division are intending to platform legally unsafe accusations, including claims which have already been investigated and not upheld by the BBC and found not credible by Silkins.’
Wallace continued: ‘To be clear, the Silkin’s Report exonerates me of all the serious allegations which made headlines last year and finds me primarily guilty of inappropriate language between 2005 and 2018.
‘I recognise that some of my humour and language, at times, was inappropriate. For that, I apologise without reservation. But I was never the caricature now being sold for clicks.’
Metro has contacted BBC for comment.
More to follow.
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