BBC Tells ‘MasterChef' Host Gregg Wallace: Your Conduct Is Threat To Safety Of Co-Workers
In a letter of dismissal, Claire Powell, head of compliance for BBC content, told Wallace that the UK national broadcaster does not 'have the confidence that you can change what seems to be learned behaviour.'
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The letter was cited in The Daily Telegraph and Daily Mirror. Deadline has verified its contents with a source close to Wallace.
The BBC wrote to Wallace ahead of the publication of an independent review into his conduct on MasterChef during his 20 years hosting the series. Banijay UK, the producer behind MasterChef, engaged Lewis Silkin to conduct the investigation last November following claims Wallace made lewd and inappropriate remarks on set.
In a statement on Tuesday, Wallace acknowledged that he had used 'inappropriate language' between 2005 and 2018, but argued that more serious allegations — including groping and touching women — had been thrown out by Lewis Silkin. An executive summary of the review is expected on Monday.
Wallace has claimed that his behavior can be attributed to his recent autism diagnosis, lambasting MasterChef colleagues for 'failing to protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment.'
The 60-year-old presenter believes he has been the victim of disability discrimination and has engaged Dan Morrison, a partner at Grosvenor Law, to fight his corner. Lawrence Power, a barrister at Whitestone Chambers, is also said to be acting for Wallace.
In the BBC letter, Powell told Wallace that the corporation had weighed up a variety of factors in reaching its decision, including previous warnings and the impact on the 'BBC's reputation.' The Telegraph reported that, in parallel with the Lewis Silkin review, the BBC also examined Wallace's conduct on other shows, identifying six incidents of concern dating back to 2005.
Powell's letter continued: 'I have further taken into account the 2025 findings as they relate to your health and recent autism diagnosis (as you have publicly stated). I have noted that you do not consider certain environments to now be 'safe' for you.
'In addition to the duty of care towards you, the BBC equally to take into account the safety and duty of care owed towards contributors, members of the public and colleagues on production teams that you may engage with and the appropriate use of licence fee payers' money in establishing a safe working environment for all.
'The 2025 findings reflect that you acknowledge some of your comments have offended or upset people, but it is clear that you struggle to distinguish the boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, as well as lacking awareness of why your behaviour impacts others.
'I do not have confidence that your behaviour can change to ensure there is a sufficiently safe and respectful environment for others working with you in the types of programmes the BBC has engaged you to present. Such productions are not heavily scripted programmes and involve sound and consistent levels of judgment in relation to interactions with others which cannot constantly be monitored or supervised.'
A BBC spokeswoman said: 'Banijay UK instructed the law firm Lewis Silkin to run an investigation into allegations against Gregg Wallace. We are not going to comment until the investigation is complete and the findings are published.'
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