Nearly 50 allegations against ex-Masterchef The host Gregg Wallace was supported by a Commissé de Banijay report on his behavior, which makes his position “untenable”. The report also discovered allegations against other Masterchef.
Directed by independent law firm Lewis Silkin, a summary of the report on Wallace confirmed the very declared decision that he was dismissed from the program after a series of allegations of sexual language and inappropriate humor, as well as unjustified physical contacts.
The report confirmed 45 allegations out of the 83 that were made. The full report will not be published, with only an executive summary of six pages available.
The majority of allegations supported against Wallace relate to inappropriate sexual language and humor. There were a small number of other complaints of inappropriate language and for him in a state of undressing. An undesirable physical contact incident has been supported, according to the report.
“The volume and consistency of supported allegations, going between 2005 and 2024, make Gregg Wallace’s return Masterchef Insuited, ”said Patrick Holland’s Declaration by Banijay.
Wallace was withdrawn at the end of last year following allegations of approximately a dozen women, including the ex-Newsnight Kirsty Wark host about his behavior. 50 other allegations were reported in a news from the BBC News last week, in which case Wallace exploded BBC News for chasing the “slander clicks” and published “Tittle Tattle non -corroborated”. BBC News is editorially independent of the BBC, although it was the Banijay producer who ordered the report. The BBC has already told Wallace that she could no longer work with him because her behavior was a threat to the security of others.
The majority of supported allegations were made between 2005 and 2011, with only one made between 2019 and 2024.
Between 2005 and 2024, the report revealed that there were at least 11 formal or informal complaints concerning Wallace’s behavior. Of the eights that were understood at the time to be complaints or concerns: four were raised both to the production company and the BBC, two were raised only with the production company and two were only raised with the BBC.
The report revealed that a complaint with Banijay had led to a 2015 investigation and measures had been taken to ensure that the complainant was satisfied with the result, although Wallace was not “informed of the complaint”, while two years later, the BBC took “rapid measures” to respond to a different complaint. It was reported that the BBC content director Kate Phillips, who then supervised Masterchef, Sitting with Wallace for 90 minutes to reprimand him on his behavior in 2018. He stayed working on Masterchef for an additional six years.
The investigation criticized the informal approach of complaints concerning Wallace made over the long period. Things have improved considerably, he added, especially since the Endemol Shine group was bought by Banijay in 2020.
“There was a tendency to respond to the concern informally on a case -by -case basis and not to consider each problem as additive to any previous allegation or to questions that had been observed by senior staff members,” added the report. “There has been an inability to keep the files of any action taken, especially in previous years between 2005-2011, with the result that the effectiveness of any action taken could not be assessed. When it is officially discussed, the problems were still not always raised clearly and directly with Mr Wallace, until he was not aware of some.
Allegations go beyond Wallace
In particular, 10 autonomous allegations were formulated against others during the period 2012 to 2019, according to the report, two of them having been supported. Of the two complaints deemed credible, one involved the “racist language” and another “swear”. These are now treated.
In her own declaration, the BBC said that she “took these results very seriously and we asked Banijay UK to take action to solve these problems, which is in progress. It will be completed as a priority. ”
The report also underlined the recent diagnosis of Wallace’s autism, which he discussed in his own statement last week. He said that “the results should be considered in the context of his neurodiversity”.
“The diagnosis of neurodiversity of Mr. Wallace is considered to be very relevant in the context of the results achieved, in particular with regard to its use of humor as a” masking “technique and its difficulty reading the social indices,” he added. “Mr. Wallace accepts that his diagnosis can help explain some of his actions, but he does not wish to hide behind.”
Deadline revealed last week that Banijay had hired a full -time social assistance specialist to support Wallace while he was facing allegations of misconduct.
Holland, a former BBC chief who directs Banijay in the United Kingdom, said that the report “gives an essential clarity on issues covering almost 20 years”.
“Although this puts an uncomfortable reading, highlighting failures in inherited reports and HR procedures, it also provides a precious overview to ensure that to move forward that all those who work on our productions feel safe and supported, and that inappropriate behavior is treated quickly and professionally,” he added.
He said Banijay will launch an “external denunciation service on all our productions with immediate effect”.
“We are extremely sorry for all those who were affected by this behavior and who did not feel unable to express themselves at the time or that their complaint was not adequately addressed,” he added.
The BBC said: “The investigation details a significant number of allegations of inappropriate driving covering 19 years. This behavior falls below the values of the BBC and the expectations that we have for anyone working with or for us.
“Although the complete extent of these problems was not known at the relevant moment, the opportunities were missed to approach this behavior – both by the production companies leading Masterchef and the BBC. We accept more and should have been done earlier.
“We would like to thank all those who participated in the investigation, including those who first raised concerns directly with the BBC in November of last year. We apologize to all those who have been affected by the behavior of Mr. Wallace. ”
Final season “Masterchef”
Many has also been released from the last season of Masterchef To present Wallace, which was made before the mountain of allegations. He has since been replaced as host by Grace Dent.
At this stage, the BBC said: “We are not going to make a final decision on the broadcast of the series that was filmed last year”, adding: we know that it is disappointing for fans of the show and those who participated and at the appropriate time, Banijay UK will consult the amateur candidates more. »»
The BBC pulled the Christmas specials from Masterchef At the end of last year, which included Wallace.
