Gregg Wallace has opened up about dealing with his son Sid’s severe autism and admitted his true feelings when he first learned of the diagnosis.
The TV presenter, known for presenting the BBC’s competitive cooking reality show Masterchef, said he went through “a period of almost like mourning” after learning last year that his son, four, was on the spectrum.
But Wallace and his wife Anne-Marie Sterpini, 37, remain “hopeful” that Sid will continue to develop new skills, “however slow that may be”.
In an interview with The Times, published today (Thursday 15 June), Wallace spoke candidly about how he felt when Sid was diagnosed.
“You go through a period of almost like mourning. Like, my God, I haven’t got the child I thought I had,” he said.
“I wanted to kick a rugby ball about with him and teach him about knights and castles. His mum and nonna would have wanted to teach him how to cook and make his bed and his clothes.
“His grandpa would have wanted to be out with him with a boomerang and an air rifle and building a treehouse. So we’re missing out. I don’t think he’s missing out,” he added.
Sid was diagnosed with severe autism in 2022. He is currently non-verbal, and it is unclear if he will begin to speak as he gets older.
Wallace said: “The bad thing is nobody can tell you what’s going to happen; the good thing is nobody can tell you what’s going to happen.
“We hold out hope because we can see development in him, however slow that may be. That is still development.”
In the same interview, Wallace recalled a sweet moment that took place recently that shows Sid is continuing to develop. “I came through the door yesterday and he squealed and ran up the hallway. He’s never done that before.”
In May, it was reported that his decision to quit his role as host on Inside the Factor, a BBC Two show that explores the business of food production in the UK, came after complaints were made about “inappropriate” comments he made to female staff.
The Times reported that the remarks were not sexual and were instead related to the weight of the female staff members.
However, Wallace slammed these reports as “inaccurate” and said: “I never, ever set out to upset or offend anybody and I never would. It makes me upset that I might have upset people.”
He said his decision to leave the show in March after seven seasons was instead due to him wanting to spend more time with his son.
Wallace and Sterpini married in 2016. She is a caterer and his fourth wife. He was previously married to biology teacher Heidi Brown from 2010 to 2011; pastry chef Denice Wallace from 1999 to 2004; and Christine Wallace in 1991.
His marriage to Christine lasted just six weeks. Wallace said in his autobiography that it was “possibly the shortest marriage in the world”, adding that he knew it was a mistake before they wed.
He also shares two children, 27-year-old daughter Libby and 29-year-old son Tom with Denise.
