Variety: Banijay U.K. Chief Addresses Gregg Wallace Scandal as 50 More Accusers Come Forward

Story from Variety:

Banijay U.K. executive chair Patrick Holland confronted the mounting Gregg Wallace scandal head-on during a London media dinner Tuesday evening, hours after BBC News revealed that the longtime “MasterChef” presenter had been sacked following 50 new allegations of misconduct.

Giving a speech ahead of a media dinner organized by Banijay U.K. in London, Holland confirmed that the executive summary of the independent report into Wallace’s behavior would be published soon, though he said he “can’t say anything else” about the case until details of law firm Lewis Silkin’s report are made public.

Holland used the moment to address broader industry concerns about workplace culture, emphasizing the need for systemic change. “We need to do all we can to ensure everyone in production in the most junior roles feels confident to call out bad behavior,” Holland said.

Holland positioned the Wallace case within the context of broader industry transformation, noting significant cultural shifts over the past two decades. “One thing I can say though is that the culture of television in my mind has changed dramatically in the last 20 years,” he said. “And while we can never be complacent, there are now myriad ways for people who experience bad behavior in the workplace to speak out, whether anonymously, via a hotline or to dedicated welfare officers.”

Last last year, news broke that Wallace would step down as the presenter of the U.K. version of “MasterChef” while claims of historical misconduct against him were investigated by producer Banijay U.K. These included allegations of sexually inappropriate comments by 13 people who worked with him from 2005 to 2022. Wallace denied the allegations as “entirely false” through his lawyers and did so again in a video posted to his Instagram account, where he said the accusations came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age.”

The fresh wave of accusations detailed by BBC News includes some of the most serious allegations yet against the 60-year-old presenter. Among 50 new complainants, 11 women accuse Wallace of inappropriate sexual behavior, including groping and touching, while the majority report inappropriate sexual comments spanning his two-decade television career.

Prior to the latest BBC News allegations, Wallace posted a combative Instagram statement claiming vindication from the Lewis Silkin investigation. “I have now been cleared by the Silkin report of the most serious and sensational accusations made against me,” he wrote. “The most damaging claims (including allegations from public figures, which have not been upheld) were found to be baseless after a full and forensic six-month investigation.”

However, Wallace acknowledged the investigation did find misconduct, stating that the report finds him “primarily guilty of inappropriate language” between 2005 and 2018. He wrote: “I recognize that some of my humor and language, at times, was inappropriate. For that, I apologize without reservation.”

Wallace struck a defiant tone, declaring: “I will not go quietly. I will not be canceled for convenience. I was tried by media and hung out to dry well before the facts were established.” He accused BBC News of “uncorroborated tittle tattle” in its reporting and called the outlet “slanderous.”

Wallace’s departure ends a 20-year run co-hosting “MasterChef” alongside John Torode, during which the show became a cornerstone of BBC One’s programming and spawned multiple international versions.