Gregg Wallace faces fifty new accusations of misconduct as an investigation into his on-set actions is launched.
Prior to the release of a report by law firm Lewis Silkin into claims of misconduct on behalf of production company Banijay, the 60-year-old greengrocer turned MasterChef star was abruptly fired from the show.
Wallace criticised the broadcaster in a lengthy Instagram statement at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, claiming that the report, which has not yet been released, had found the most serious accusations against him to be "baseless."
About an hour later, BBC News released a shocking report saying it had received 50 more claims from people, including a worker who expressed concerns and was told, "You're over 16, you're not being 'Jimmy Saviled.'"
A 2002 allegation that Wallace touched a woman's groin during dinner before an episode of Saturday Kitchen was filmed and asked, "Do you like that?" is one of the other accusations.
Several women, including a university student who claimed he acted inappropriately when he took a picture with her in 2013, have accused Wallace of groping them after putting his hand up their dresses or skirts.
Wallace allegedly dropped his pants in front of her in 2012 while not wearing anything underneath, according to a junior employee.
However, he has strongly denied the most recent accusations and has reportedly told friends that the stress of the investigation caused him to have a suspected heart attack. Wallace has been married to Anne-Marie Sterpini, his fourth wife, since 2016.
Gregg Wallace is well-known for co-hosting MasterChef: The Professionals, Celebrity MasterChef, and MasterChef on the BBC. With a career spanning more than 20 years in UK food and cooking shows, he is also well-known as a food expert, former greengrocer, and television host.
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