That’s the position of new BBC content chief Kate Phillips, who was asked why more was not done to tackle allegations about Gregg Wallace years before he was fired from MasterChef.Phillips, who replaced Charlotte Moore as the BBC’s chief content officer this summer, received a written complaint about Wallace in 2017, according to a Sunday Times report.Celebrity MasterChef contestant Aasmah Mir told the BBC that Wallace’s behavior was “unacceptable and cannot continue” after accusing the presenter of making sexist remarks.After an investigation by law firm Lewis Silkin concluded this year, Wallace apologized for using “inappropriate language” between 2005 and 2018, but denied more serious allegations.“I dealt with it straight away,” Phillips said. “So there were two complaints. I dealt with them. I acted on them fast. I think we weren’t as joined up in the BBC as we are now, so I didn’t know about some of the historical things that have taken place. If I’d known about those at the time, yes, I may have acted differently, but I acted on the information I was given.”She continued: “I think I acted responsibly. I left him in no doubt of the behavior that we expect at the BBC, and I stand by the actions I took at the time with the knowledge that I had.”Phillips urged freelancers to speak up if they experience power abuses while making shows for the BBC, with recent studies showing the level of fear over making complaints.“I just want to say, please speak up. No one is irreplaceable. Everyone is accountable, no matter how high up and sort of untouchable they may seem, they’re really not. And we really encourage everyone to come forward and speak up.”Wallace and co-host John Torode left MasterChef after the Lewis Silkin investigation was commissioned by producer Banijay. They presented the series for two decades and can claim credit for helping turn the format into a world-straddling behemoth, worth €288M ($334M) to Banijay last year alone.MasterChef is secure on the BBC until 2028, thanks to a deal signed with Banijay in 2022. The corporation decided to screen Season 21, despite the crisis over Wallace and Torode.
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