Gregg Wallace has issued a public apology after sparking a widespread backlash for comments he made about the investigation of which he is currently at the centre.
Last week, it was announced that the MasterChef presenter would be taking time out from the show while production company Banijay UK launched “an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate” complaints that had been made to the BBC regarding his past behaviour.
Responding to this over the weekend, Gregg said: “I’ve been doing MasterChef for 20 years – amateur, professional and celebrity – and I think in that time I have worked with over 4,000 contestants of all different ages, all different backgrounds, all walks of life.
“And apparently now, I’m reading in the paper, there’ve been 13 complaints in that time. Now, in the newspaper I can see the complaints coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age just from Celebrity MasterChef. This isn’t right.”
Gregg’s remarks were met with an immediate backlash, including from several of the people who’d complained about him and, more recently, even the UK prime minister.
On Monday afternoon, Gregg shared another upload to his Instagram story, apologising for “any offence” and “any upset I may have caused to a lot of people”.
“I wasn’t in a good head space when I posted it,” he claimed, tstating he’s been “under a huge amount of stress” in recent days, and had been feeling “very alone under siege”.
He continued: “It’s obvious to me I need to take some time out now while this investigation is underway.
“I hope you understand and I do hope that you will accept this apology.”
A Banijay UK spokesperson said last week: “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. Whilst these are historical allegations, incidences brought to our attention where these expectations are not met, are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately.”
A BBC rep also said: “We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.
“We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.
“Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them.”
Gregg has been a presenter and judge on MasterChef since 2008, alongside John Torode.
BBC News also claimed last week that the current series of MasterChef: The Professionals – in which Gregg appears – will continue to air as scheduled during the Banijay UK investigation.