Gregg Wallace’s decision to quit Inside the Factory was reportedly prompted by complaints over “inappropriate” comments he had made to female staff.
Wallace, 58, quit his role fronting the BBC2 series in March after serving as presenter for seven seasons, stating that he wanted to spend more time with his three-year-old son.
The Times, however, reports that an incident at a Nestlé factory in York at the start of the year also contributed to his decision to quit.
During the visit in question, Wallace allegedly made comments to staff that were considered inappropriate. The publication understands that the remarks were related to the weight of female staff members and were not sexual.
In response to the allegations, a representative for Wallace told The Independent: “We refer to you the original statement which makes clear his reasons for not continuing filming the series.”
At the time, Wallace said: “As viewers know, to say I find the inside of factories fascinating is an understatement. I’ve never failed to be amazed by the scale of production, whether it’s conveyor belts full of tiny sweets or a double decker bus rolling out of the factory for the very first time.
‘For me, filming the show alongside my other TV and family commitments has always been a balance and as my son Sid’s needs become more challenging, I’ve decided the time has come to hang up my hairnet.
“We’ve already filmed 12 future episodes so viewers can see me enjoying lots more factories in my hi-viz jacket for a while to come yet.”
The Times reports that a complaint had been lodged to production company Voltage TV, which requested that Wallace moderate his language in the future.
A source close to the situation said: “He was rude towards staff and continued to talk in a derogatory manner, especially to women.”
Members of staff are believed to have said they would not want to continue the show if Wallace were to remain working on it.
A source said that the production company spoke again to Wallace and gave him “a talking to”.
Wallace was “appalled that he had caused such offence”, said a source.
“He felt that he was just trying to be friendly but no longer knew what the right thing to say any more and decided to leave.”
The BBC was made aware of the incident. According to The Times, however, his position as host of MasterChef is not at risk given that the cooking show takes place in a more managed environment.
Additionally, a Nestlé insider told the publication that Wallace had unintentionally upset staff.
“He comes in cracking jokes but is from a very different world to our workers,” said the source.
Nestlé UK said that the company has been “proud to host Inside the Factory on five occasions since the series began.
“We have one more episode filmed… and would be open to participating in future episodes or similar projects.”
The BBC declined to comment.
