I know my TV career's over & I fear for my financial future, says Gregg Wallace as he moans about BBC sacking
Asked if he will tune in to the latest series which he co-presented, he said: 'No, no, no, no.'
5
Former TV star Gregg Wallace vowed never to watch MasterChef again following his sacking
Credit: Dan Charity
5
Wallace with his wife Anne-Marie Sterpini
Credit: Dan Charity
The 60-year-old —
The BBC confirmed it will air the series with
Defiant Wallace has hit back at the damning legal investigation into his behaviour — claiming HE was groped during his time on MasterChef.
The furious 60-year-old ex-presenter, fired this month, also believes he was accused of wrongdoing by women with an 'agenda' against him.
READ MORE ON GREGG WALLACE
In a hard-hitting interview, he acknowledges he will never appear on TV again - and says he will not watch the new series of the show in which he features alongside axed co-host John Torode.
He says: 'The whole complaints procedure needs to be readdressed - there are huge problems with it as things stand.
'Being on MasterChef was brilliant but I had so many bad experiences on that show too.
Most read in News TV
'Had I wanted to raise any complaints, I'd have had the decency to speak to that person directly. Privately, not publicly.
'My God, can you imagine the complaints I could have made? Have you got any idea of the sexual references made to me on a daily basis?
'How many times I've been touched by women wanting a selfie? How many times I've been groped? How many times suggestive comments have been made to me? How many female contestants have said inappropriate things on MasterChef?
Shamed Gregg Wallace says 'I'm no groper, sex pest or flasher,' as tearful star refuses to accept blame for BBC sacking
'It wouldn't even cross my mind though. Now, I'm not suggesting that groping is right, but it was happening to me on a regular basis. It was just extraordinary.
'This is what I mean about the idea that presenters are god-like and they're just throwing their weight around and bullying people.
'The amount of times when I was desperately trying to build a career in television that I've been shouted at and bullied. I don't know what the answer is, and I understand the need for anonymity, but I wouldn't wish anyone to be dragged through what I have.'
While he recognises that genuine whistleblowers must be protected, he firmly believes some women were 'weaponising' their dislike of him.
He is, it is clear, a very angry man - and certainly a bruised one.
He told The Sun yesterday that he was not a 'groper, a sex pest or a flasher'. He also backed Torode, who had an allegation of racism upheld against him during the probe into Wallace's behaviour.
He confirms he is contemplating suing the BBC — after taking on attack-dog lawyer Dan Morrison — for what he believes is their 'unfair' treatment of him.
Under the 2010 Equalities Act, employers are duty-bound to protect those with disabilities - which includes
He sighs: 'Honestly I don't know if I will go through with it right now though. I feel utterly battered and bruised, and right now just want to hide behind my sofa drinking Horlicks.
'Perhaps when the dust has settled but it's too early to say what I will do next.' Last week the BBC and MasterChef production company Banijay confirmed they will be airing the series which he and Torode filmed last year.
Will
5
Wallace said: 'Wokeism and cancel culture is terrifying - I just hope no one else ever has to go through anything like this'
Credit: Dan Charity
5
Wallace's co-host John Torode was also sacked from the show
Credit: BBC
5
Wallace was ridiculed for an exchange he had with Nick Holder on X/Twitter which went viral
Credit: Twitter
He rages: 'No, no, no, no. I'm hurt. I don't want anything to do with telly. I don't want anything to do with the BBC. I really don't care. I'm just really pleased for the contestants because MasterChef, really, is all about them - it was never about John and I.
'Whoever hosts it next, and I really don't care who it is, the show will be absolutely fine.' Speaking from his sprawling country home in rural Kent, Wallace admits he is worried about his financial future.
He adds: 'But, for a long time, I earned a lot of money and I was careful with it. I am not expecting sympathy from anyone but obviously I have a family, and of course I do worry.'
He accepts his TV career is over, and has just qualified as a personal trainer helping men over 50 get fit.
He charges £50 a week for his 20 clients, giving them a one-hour, face-to-face online session plus a full nutrition and exercise plan.
It is a far cry from his reported £400,000-a-year salary on MasterChef. But, he insists, it brings him happiness. Today, the gym is a respite for him.
What will my legacy be now? I don't want it to be telly, I want nothing to do with it all
Gregg Wallace
In 2022 the former greengrocer was awarded an MBE for services to food and charity.
But in the wake of the report against him - undertaken by law firm Lewis Silkin with 45 out of 83 allegations upheld - he fears being stripped of the title.
He muses: 'What will my legacy be now? I don't want it to be telly, I want nothing to do with it all. I have worried about losing my MBE but there's not a lot I can do about it. But I haven't done anything illegal and hopefully now more and more people will realise that I haven't been exposing myself, and I haven't been groping people either.
'So now I want to start campaigning - raising more awareness of neurodiversity in the workplace.
'I think perceptions may slowly change and all I want is people to ask questions of people whose behaviour they find odd - even people that might look like a football hooligan to you.
'You can't decide which groups of people or which disabilities you will support or won't support in the workplace. You either embrace it all or you don't.
'For example, the BBC should have spotted my autism sooner and sent me off to Occupational Health rather than letting all these complaints to build up against me, with nobody saying anything until the floodgates opened and it all came out. I feel very angry about that.'
Wallace is so angry with the BBC that when they asked him repeatedly for an interview he declined.
Anger, of course, is something many, many women felt towards Wallace in the wake of his arrogantly foolish comments on Instagram last year in which he said he was accused by 'middle-class women of a certain age'.
It is, he acknowledges ruefully, a phrase that will haunt him forever.
No, no, no, why did I look like an a**hole? He was asking me to do something, and he got my name wrong. Did I say anywhere that I wouldn't help him?
Gregg Wallace
After spending two hours with Wallace, it seems evident he is on the spectrum. Frankly, how it took until the age of 60 for him to be diagnosed is baffling.
One incident that has unquestionably marked him came in 2012 when a fan tweeted the presenter to ask for help raising awareness of a charity bike ride.
Nick Holder posted: 'Hi Greg, I am cycling just over 180 miles in 2 days for Macmillan Cancer Support. Any chance of an RT?' Instead of supporting Nick's endeavours, Gregg, with two Gs, simply responded 'Gregg?'
Cuttingly - and quite rightly - Nick replied: 'No worries mate, it's only people with cancer. You worry about your extra G. Mastert**t.'
The exchange quickly went viral, with Wallace mercilessly ridiculed.
Does he not realise, I ask, that he came across as, well, an utter a**hole? (A question not many people would take well.)
Nope, Gregg is still bemused and frustrated by the incident.
He asks: 'No, no, no, why did I look like an a**hole? He was asking me to do something, and he got my name wrong. Did I say anywhere that I wouldn't help him?
'So why didn't he just go, 'Oh, OK mate, sorry I got that wrong. Would you help me?'
'And if that would have been the narrative, then fine, but instead he said, 'Oh, don't worry, it's only people dying of cancer, you get your name right, w***er'.
Wokeism and cancel culture is terrifying - I just hope no one else ever has to go through anything like this
Gregg Wallace
'If only he'd just said, 'Oh, sorry, mate, G-R-E-G-G, could you help me?' Then of course I would have done so, that's what I wanted to do, but people don't know that. I have done so much for charities over the years, I have always done so.'
When I ask him if such pedantry is his autism at play, he bizarrely doubles down and insists I would not understand because people have not been spelling my name wrong for years.
I point out that, as a 'Clemmie', I spent my childhood years regularly being called 'Clammy', and joyfully, 'Chlamydia'.
And that, no, it would not have irked me one iota.
He snaps back: 'Congratulations, well done you — you're obviously not autistic.'
Had I not spent the morning with the man - and, crucially, his lovely family - I might have been pretty horrified by that.
As it is, I realise he genuinely sees things incredibly black and white.
Quite literally there is no filter with Wallace. When he feels an injustice, he says it.
Certainly you see a different side to the man - who can only go out in a disguise now, so afraid of public perception is he - when you see him interacting with his family.
His incredibly loyal
Anna has been my rock - we had some really tough conversations when it was all kicking off but I promised her I have never, ever cheated
Gregg Wallace
Two French bulldogs, Wally and Bella, tear around the house, while his delightful mother-in-law Rina potters around in the kitchen.
Indeed, such is his autism, he makes diary reminders in his phone nudging him to be romantic.
He says: 'Anna told me once she wanted spontaneous hugs from me so that's what I do now… so the hugs might not be spontaneous for me, but they are for her.'
He credits his family for keeping him around. Without them, he admits tearfully, he might have taken his own life during a particularly bleak spell last Christmas.
He reflects: 'But then I realised that would be selfish on them, and totally unfair. Anna has been my rock - we had some really tough conversations when it was all kicking off but I promised her I have never, ever cheated.
'She knows I have not looked at another woman since the moment I laid eyes on her.
'But seeing how tough this been on them - my mum, who died earlier this year, called me one day to ask why the Prime Minister was talking about me on telly - has been heartbreaking.
'Wokeism and cancel culture is terrifying - I just hope no one else ever has to go through anything like this.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
My Life with Emma Quirke: 'I represented Ireland as a competitive puzzler'
As a little girl who devoured jigsaws I never imagined I would one day have the chance to represent my country as a competitive puzzler. Last April, I realised a lifelong dream after scooping first prize in the solo category of the inaugural UK National Jigsaw Puzzle Championship in Bradford. I completed a 500-piece puzzle in a record time of 41 minutes and 55 seconds. My personal best leading up to that was fourth place in the semi-finals of the World Jigsaw Puzzle championships in Valladolid, Spain. My dad almost sobbed with pride. Since I was very small, my talent for jigsaws has been a source of fascination within my family. At four years old, it proved difficult to find a puzzle that challenged me. Not content with the traditional way, I began doing them upside down and at lightning speed. My parents started buying me harder jigsaws. By the time I was six, I was completing puzzles with a thousand pieces. However, I never thought it could turn into a competitive pastime. When I was in secondary school, the emphasis was predominantly on football and soccer. I suppose, in a way, puzzling is a sport too, but it wouldn't be considered your typical hobby. Realistically, I never thought that jigsaws would give me the chance to see the world. As a teenager, I largely kept my jigsaws a secret from everyone with the exception of my family. I never fell out of love with them and completed one most days after school. Years went by and a friend sent me a video about the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships. I signed up and the rest is history. Since participating, I've gained so much confidence. I'm much more open to talking about jigsaw puzzles and that's down to a lot of reasons. Champion jigsaw maker Emma Quirke with a jigsaw from her appearance on BBC. Picture Dan Linehan When I first started competing, I appeared on BBC News. Hollywood star Hugh Jackman shared a video of a few of us doing puzzles for the worlds on his Instagram stories. It was nice to see that someone with so many talents would be proud of us. In the months that followed, I grew so much in confidence. In my role as a primary school teacher at Lacken National school in Blessington, Co Wicklow, I try my best to support my pupils in whatever they feel most passionate about. I want them to be able to follow their dreams just like I did. Jigsaw puzzles have opened up my eyes to the fact that there is more to life than what we see and are exposed to every day. The children support me too. Many of them tune in to watch me compete via a livestream. They cheer me on and make me cards. My enthusiasm has rubbed off on them as members of the school jigsaw club can attest. It's nice to be able to teach the kids who aren't sporty that there are other ways they can shine. We now have 20 members. The sessions are always really fun and it's so cute to see the kids all working together. It has been great for their self-esteem. Moreover, jigsaws are beneficial for so many aspects of a child's development. They are brilliant for children of all ages as they promote fine motor skills. They are also great for memory. IT IS not just the kids who support my pastime. I have 200 jigsaw puzzles in my home, but my housemate Elizabeth doesn't mind. Rather than asking me to get rid of them, she has started joining in. She sees the energy I pour into every one of them. Champion jigsaw maker Emma Quirke at her home in Killarney, Co Kerry. Picture Dan Linehan The largest puzzle I have completed to date is a 5,000-piece jigsaw. The picture is of seashells and it's a bit all over the place. I prefer the images to be higgledy-piggledy rather than your usual landscape because it's more of a challenge. I try to do a puzzle every day. When you get to a point where you're fast and you can compare your times with other people it's quite fun. I'm part of the Irish Jigsaw Puzzle Association, where I get to meet with people from all walks of life with an interest in puzzling. The skill is still quite niche even though there is a broadened awareness now. People are often quite surprised to learn I do puzzling. At first, they don't understand what is involved or how it works. When I explain how I do it they are always quite impressed. I think a lot of the time, they are shocked to see that both my hands are working so fast. Hand-eye coordination is a really important element of puzzling. When you are working with children, you have to be quite patient and focused and a lot of that would transfer. Puzzles are an escapism. Jigsaws throw you out of the world for a while. All you can think about is that puzzle. If there's one thing jigsaws have taught me it's how to live in the moment.
Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Irish Independent
‘Here We Go' TV review: This dom-com is a rare breed of comfort watch, but it's not cutting edge
It's a very English BBC comedy, but sometimes you just want something gentle to curl up to It seems like a long time since we had a domestic comedy on television. But does The Simpsons count? The Simpsons has swept all before it. Not since Malcolm in the Middle have we had an outstanding domestic comedy about your average (white) family. Maybe Outnumbered. The Cosby Show, which was very successful in its day, has been swept from collective memory for obvious reasons. And, looking back on it, Bless This House, starring the legendary Sid James – ask your nana – wasn't that great. Here We Go, now in its third season on BBC One, isn't great either. But it's very efficient. It's very well acted. And it is a pleasant watch. That is more than can be said for 90pc of what is on our screens today. (Channel 4's The Dog House is an outstanding exception, maintaining its place in the top 10pc of telly, providing its sobbing audience with happy ending after happy ending and easily overtaking both First Dates and Gogglebox. I never thought I'd say that.)
The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘This can't happen', cry RTE Fair City viewers as shock love twist rocks Carrigstown and leaves fans furious
RTE Fair City viewers were left stunned as a shock romantic twist continued in Carrigstown. In tonight's episode, Erica became increasingly suspicious as Gareth and Babs continued to flirt with each other. 2 Erica became increasingly suspicious about Gareth and Babs Credit: RTE 2 Babs and Gareth came to a head when the two share a private moment Credit: RTE Babs insisted they are just friends. Erica nonetheless warned her to be careful. Babs kept Victor in the doghouse, despite his continued attempts to mend things between them. The romantic tension between Babs and Gareth came to a head when the two share a private moment, but Gareth professed that despite his feelings he could never cheat on Melanie. Secretly disappointed, Babs agreed that she also would not betray Victor. READ MORE ON FAIR CITY One fan joked: "Babs and Gar should avoid Coldplay concerts at this rate." Another wrote: "This can't happen Babs." A third added: "Babs you led the poor chap on." Most read in News TV Elsewhere, in the run up to the grand opening of the antique shop, Ger and Carol continued to fight for Lorcan's allegiances. Carol pretended to be happy for Lorcan in his new role, much to Ger's discontent. A look at tonight's episode of Fair City Feeling she was no longer able to agitate Carol, Ger fired Lorcan. CITY DRAMA Lorcan returned to work for Carol but implied that he left the antiques shop himself. Ian pestered Maxine to reconsider her relationship with Sash. Sash attempted to mend fences with Ian, but he continued to behave childishly, insisting Maxine would side with him over her. Sash eventually snapped back and told Ian that he was dragging Maxine down. Sean began to worry he was being too strict on himself when he turned down a cheap holiday with Nikki, Cass and the kids. After some sage advice from Emma, Sean surprised Nikki and Cass by reconsidering his rigid lifestyle and agreeing to come along on the holiday.
