Food critic Grace Dent is to replace Gregg Wallace as host of Celebrity MasterChef after he “stepped back” in the wake of allegations over his conduct. Wallace stands accused of historical misconduct – of making inappropriate comments and of sexually harassing behaviour. Wallace’s lawyers say the allegations are false.
There’s a common refrain when people discuss cases of this nature – that sexualised comments are just “harmless fun”. They are jokes – a bit of banter. “Jokes” and “banter” are central to “lad cultures”, which have been a focus of my research for over 20 years, including books on lad cultures in universities and schools.
My research in secondary schools showed how boys who cultivated a “cheeky chappie” image – arguably, like Wallace – were often seen as “loveable rogues” and were given considerable leeway to “joke around” in class in ways that girls simply were not. Girls were never seen as loveable rogues. Thus, gendered cultures become embedded early on.
