Gregg Wallace has responded to reports claiming he had previously been the subject of an internal investigation at the BBC.
The Sun alleged on Sunday evening that the MasterChef judge’s future with the show was “under fire” after it “emerged” he had been at the centre of a BBC probe six years earlier.
According to the tabloid, Gregg sparked “concerns” during a 2018 appearance on the gameshow Impossible Celebrities, citing an “insider” who claimed he had boasted about his sex life to a female staffer and took his top off in front of her.
On Monday morning, Gregg shared a response on his Instagram page, which has now been deleted, but was published by Metro.
“With reference to what’s in the newspapers, these allegations were investigated by the BBC six years ago – and my comments were found to be not sexual. I repeat not sexual,” he told his followers.
He then added: “Something else that I feel very strongly about, strong enough to be on here, nobody six years ago or since has accused me of flirting with anyone or hitting on anyone, and that is important to me, and I say this for my wife Anna, who I have been true to and madly in love with since the day I met her.
“I don’t want anyone to misunderstand this and make it look like I was flirting with somebody. Nobody accused me of that and I never have.”
A BBC spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “Whilst we do not comment on individuals, if issues are raised they are dealt with swiftly and appropriately at the time.
“We do not tolerate any form of inappropriate behaviour and have robust processes in place.”
Last year, Gregg shut down reports surrounding his decision to step down as the host of the show Inside The Factory.
Shortly after his departure was confirmed, The Times alleged that it had come after Gregg was “given a talking to” after engaging in banter “that he believed to be friendly but was considered inappropriate”.
His comments were said at the time to have been made about female staff members’ appearance, but were not sexual in nature.
Gregg later insisted that the reporting around his departure was “not accurate”, but confirmed that there was “an argument [at] Inside The Factory” before he left the show.