MasterChef staff were given ‘whistleblowing hotline to report Gregg Wallace complaints THREE years ago’
MASTERCHEF staff concerned about Gregg Wallace’s behaviour were told to call a whistleblowing hotline three years ago, it is claimed.
The TV chef, 60, stepped away from the BBC show while historical misconduct allegations against him are investigated.
A probe has been launched into complaints against him spanning 17 years.
He is alleged to have made sexual remarks to 13 colleagues, including ex Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark.
One witness claimed the former green grocer walked into the studio naked apart from a “sock over his penis” then did a dance.
They also said he mimed a sex act as a worker knelt to clean his trousers.
A source has now said production crew were directed to a freephone number and website to report issues, including harassment and bullying.
It was at a time when Wallace was allegedly behaving inappropriately.
They told The Mirror: “Workers were told about a hotline which had been put in place by the production company to report problems.
“It was never explicitly said it was because of Gregg but people were guided to it when raising concerns about him.
“That came in three series ago… There’s a sense of relief from some of the staff on MasterChef now Gregg has gone.”
The Film and TV Charity launched the bullying hotline in 2021 and it was mentioned on call sheets of shows owned by Banijay UK – which is behind MasterChef.
The production company also then set up its own service called Speak Up! described as offering “safe arena for individuals to confidentially have their voice heard”.
It comes as The Sun revealed today BBC bosses let Wallace carry on working on MasterChef despite being warned by Nestlé about his behaviour while filming another programme.
He is said to have infuriated staff there by joking about their weight while filming a segment on how chocolate bar Aero is made for BBC’s Inside The Factory.
A source said: “He upset some of the female workers by joking along the lines of ‘working in a chocolate factory is the reason you’re fat’. It really upset them.”
His comments early last year caused such upset that Nestlé told staff Inside the Factory would no longer be welcome on its premises.
The company contacted the BBC and the series’ production company.
Wallace quit the show in the wake of the controversy but still worked on MasterChef.
Banijay UK yesterday said law firm Lewis Silkin would lead the investigation into Wallace’s alleged misconduct.
The BBC said it would be inappropriate to comment on anything that could form part of Banijay’s investigation.
The Sun previously revealed one former contestant even alleged the MasterChef judge groped her while she was cooking on the set of the show as the cameras rolled.
Wallace thanked people for “showing their support” on a video posted to his Instagram on Thursday evening, and today shared a bizarre image of a gingerbread man dunked into whipped cream.
Gregg Wallace's career to date
Gregg Wallace has been a familiar face on TV for years now thanks to his role as a judge on MasterChef - but let's take a closer look at his career so far...
- Gregg Wallace left school at 15 and started his career working on a fruit and veg stall in London.
- In 1989, he started George Allan’s Greengrocers, a company that grew to a turnover of £7.5 million.
- Gregg’s experience in the world of fruit and veg lead to him co-hosting Veg Talk on BBC Radio 4 with Charlie Hicks for seven years.
- He then became the first host of Saturday Kitchen in 2002, a role he held for a year before being replaced by Antony Worrall Thompson in 2003.
- At the same time, Gregg presented a number of food-related TV specials, including Veg Out for the Discovery Channel.
- Gregg landed his most notable TV role as a co-presenter and judge on BBC’s competitive cooking show MasterChef in 2005. He stars alongside John Torode.
- In 2010 Gregg pursued another life-long dream of opening a restaurant. He opened the establishment Wallace & Co. in Putney.
- Then, in 2012, he opened Gregg’s Bar & Grill in a joint venture with the Bermondsey Square Hotel.
- Gregg then scored a hosting gig with the BBC, presenting the documentary Supermarket Secrets in August 2013.
- Unfortunately, times were tough for Gregg, and in the same month, it was reported that one of his companies, West Veg Limited, had folded, owing more than £500,000.
- In 2014, both of his restaurants folded, with Wallace & Co owing suppliers £150,000.
- However, his TV career continued to thrive, and in 2015 became the regularly host of the award-winning documentary food series Eat Well for Less? Gregg helmed the show for eight years before stepping away.
- He also competed on Strictly Come Dancing.
- Gregg then made Telly history again when he revived the BBC’s historical game show Time Commanders.
- More recently, the celebrity chef has presented a number of travel programmes such as Big Weekends with Gregg Wallace, South Africa with Gregg Wallace, and the food mockumentary, Gregg Wallace: The British Miracle Meat.