Gregg Wallace is reportedly set to be fired from MasterChef after a nine-month investigation into his alleged inappropriate behaviour, but he’s “not going quietly” and has issued a rather furious statement on Instagram.
Gregg Wallace temporarily stepped down from his MasterChef presenting duties when “historical allegations” were levied against him by both former colleagues and participants of the show. The allegations stretched across 17 years, ranging from sexualised jokes to taking his clothes off in front of female co-workers.
“We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them. We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated,” the BBC said in a statement at the time.
“Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them.”
Following a lengthy investigation, Gregg Wallace has reportedly been fired, with the full report set for release on Thursday, July 10. Ahead of its release, he issued a rather lengthy and angry statement on Instagram – here it is, in full.
Credit: BBC
Gregg Wallace’s full statement
On Instagram on Tuesday, two days before the findings of the investigation are set for release, Gregg Wallace got ahead of the narrative by releasing his own statement on Instagram
He wrote: “I have taken the decision to speak out ahead of the publication of the Silkins report – a decision I do not take lightly. But 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.
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“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. The BBC is no longer providing balanced and impartial public service journalism. It is peddling baseless and sensationalised gossip masquerading as properly corroborated stories.
“The BBC is choosing to allow BBC News to run with this uncorroborated tittle tattle in an attempt to ‘get ahead’ of the Silkin’s summary report and derail what has been an extremely thorough process.”
Gregg continued to explain how he believes the BBC is peddling “slanderous clickbait” rather than impartial journalism. He claimed the report “exonerates me of all the serious allegations” and only confirms the use of inappropriate language between 2005 and 2018.
He continued: “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.
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“I was hired by the BBC and MasterChef as the cheeky greengrocer. A real person with warmth, character, rough edges and all. For over two decades, that authenticity was part of the brand. Now, in a sanitised world, that same personality is seen as a problem. My neurodiversity, now formally diagnosed as autism, was suspected and discussed by colleagues across countless seasons of Master Chef.
“Yet nothing was done to investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over twenty years. That failure is now being quietly buried.”
In one defiant final line, he wrote: “I, and I’m sure the public, would like to know why? I will not go quietly. I will not be cancelled for convenience. I was tried by media and hung out to dry well before the facts were established. The full story of this incredible injustice must be told and it is very much a matter of public interest.”
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Featured image credit: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
