Kirstie Allsopp has claimed Gregg Wallace boasted of a sex act he and his partner enjoyed “every morning”.
The TV presenter and writer labelled the former MasterChef host “totally unprofessional” while recalling an uncomfortable encounter while the pair filmed a pilot episode.
The comment, said to have been made ina green room, left Allsopp feeling “embarrassed”.
She added: “Why say nothing? Because you feel, in no particular order, embarrassed, a prude, shocked, waiting for a male colleague to call him out, not wanting to ‘rock the boat’, thinking it’s better to plough on with the day, assuming you misheard/misunderstood or just don’t get the joke.”
Wallace, 60, has been accused by multiple women of inappropriate behaviour, including mimicking a sexual act on a member of staff, after a four-month Telegraph investigation.
Gregg Wallace is accused of misconduct while working on MasterChef. Photo / Getty Images
The investigation exposed allegations that Wallace had made sexually inappropriate comments on set and left staff feeling uncomfortable by taking his clothes off.
In the wake of the allegations published by the Telegraph, the presenter “stepped away” from his role on the cooking programme on Thursday as an investigation into his conduct was launched.
Banijay UK, the production company that makes MasterChef for the BBC, said it was conducting “an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate”.
The latest allegations to emerge against the presenter include that he made lewd comments and asked for the personal phone numbers of female production staff.
The claims were made in a letter allegedly sent to the BBC by Dawn Elrick, a director and producer, in 2022.
Wallace’s lawyers have denied the accusations.
A statement from Banijay UK about the historical allegations read: “Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company Banijay UK, we feel that it is appropriate to conduct an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate.
“While this review is under way, Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef and is committed to fully co-operating throughout the process.
“Banijay UK’s duty of care to staff is always a priority and our expectations regarding behaviour are made clear to both cast and crew on all productions, with multiple ways of raising concerns, including anonymously, clearly promoted on set.
“Whilst these are historical allegations, incidences brought to our attention where these expectations are not met are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately.”
A BBC spokesman said: “If issues are raised with us, we have robust processes in place to deal with them swiftly and appropriately. We will always listen if people want to make us aware of something directly.
“It would be inappropriate for us to comment on anything that could form part of Banijay’s ongoing investigation or otherwise influence it.”
