In the space of just a year, Gregg Wallace’s public perception has metamorphosed entirely. Descriptions of the TV presenter would historically be seasoned with epithets like “cheeky chappy” and “salt of the earth” (Wallace, meanwhile, described himself as “the fat, bald bloke off the telly who likes pudding”). Now, though, the MasterChef star’s image has irrevocably soured.
In November, Wallace made headlines after he was accused of a string of workplace misconduct allegations, going back almost two decades. Last week, BBC News reported that a further 50 people had approached the corporation with new claims (Wallace denied all the allegations). And on Monday (14 July), an independent report upheld 45 out of 83 allegations against him, including claims of unwelcome physical contact and inappropriate sexual language. In response, the BBC admitted that “opportunities were missed to address this behaviour – both by the production companies running MasterChef” and the broadcaster itself.
