Gregg Wallace newest: Masterchef presenter shares cryptic Instagram photographs amid recent allegations

Wallace, who – among other complaints – has been accused by former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark of making jokes of a “sexualised nature” when she was competing on Celebrity MasterChef in 2011, has previously said he resents any insinuation he was “flirting” with someone who is not his wife Anna, 37.

“I say this for my wife Anna, who I’ve been true to and madly in love with since the day I met her,” he told his Instagram followers in October. “I don’t want anybody to misunderstand this and make it look like I was flirting with somebody. Nobody accused me of that and I never have.”

Wallace met his fourth wife, real name Anne-Marie Sterpini, when she tweeted him a question about rhubarb in 2013. “I just looked at Anna’s photo and thought ‘wow. She’s pretty,” the former greengrocer told Hello! of the encounter.

Further accusations have been made against TV presenter Gregg Wallace in the wake of him stepping away from hosting hit BBC show MasterChef while a review into complaints is carried out.

On Thursday, the cooking programme’s production company Banijay UK said the BBC received complaints from individuals in relation to “historical allegations of misconduct” while working with Wallace.

He is “committed to fully co-operating throughout the process”, the company also said.

There were reports on Friday evening in news outlets such as The Sun newspaper about other alleged behaviour by Wallace.

Banijay UK confirmed on Saturday it had appointed law firm Lewis Silkin to lead an investigation into Wallace’s alleged behaviour.

Wallace has shared a new post on Instagram amid the allegations against himself. The 60-year-old shared a video, that was originally posted five weeks ago on his “Gregg Wallace Health” account.

In the post, he wrote: “We should all be concerned about our health… but not enough of us are because we’re “too busy” with work, with socialising, with going on holidays. If and when you get sick from years of not looking after yourself, there won’t be any time for any of the things that kept you busy in the first place. Put your health first and give yourself more time to do the things you love.”

In a statement, former Celebrity MasterChef winner Emma Kennedy claimed that she made a complaint about Wallace in 2012.

Kennedy claims that she witnessed Wallace use inappropriate conduct towards another woman who was working on the show, reports The Sun.

The actor and lawyer wrote on BlueSky: “For the record, I complained about behaviour I ­witnessed on MasterChef in 2012. They knew then. They knew before then and they’ve known since.”

MasterChef producer Banijay UK has announced the appointment of law firm Lewis Silkin to lead the investigation into alleged misconduct by presenter Gregg Wallace during filming of the BBC cooking show.

The production company had revealed complaints were made to the BBC by individuals in relation to “historical allegations of misconduct” while working with Wallace.

A Banijay UK spokesperson said: “Lewis Silkin is a major City law firm with a highly experienced specialist investigations team which has overseen a broad range of high-profile workplace investigations.

“Banijay UK has been impressed by the firm’s rigorous, in-depth, and impartial analysis and reporting.”

They said anyone wishing to raise further concerns could contact the investigation team via atbanijayinvestigation@lewissilkin.com.

The spokesperson added: “All information will be handled sensitively, and names of those providing evidence to the team will be kept confidential.”

Banijay UK said earlier this week that Wallace is “committed to fully co-operating throughout the process”.

Gregg Wallace was always an unlikely TV star. Prematurely bald, stout, and the proud wearer of thick glasses, he seemed destined for an unglamorous life amid the vegetable stalls of the capital, rather than on TV screens across the country.

And yet, the presenter, who today has stepped back from his role as a judge on MasterChef after a series of historic sexual misconduct allegations came to light, has made himself part of the furniture at the BBC.

And that makes his rapid fall from grace even more troubling for the corporation, though Wallace’s lawyers say it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.

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After allegations raised by staff members about Wallace’s behaviour on Gregg Wallace’s Big Weekends to BBC News, Channel 5 asked the programme’s production company Rumpus Media to look into the accusations.

Rumpus Media said: “We do not tolerate inappropriate behaviour on our productions.

“Our comprehensive duty of care processes were in place during production of these series and any matters raised would have been investigated in accordance with these.”

Mr Wallace, 60, is best known for co-presenting MasterChef alongside John Torode since 2005, as well as its spin-offs Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals.

He was the original presenter of the BBC show Saturday Kitchen in 2002 and has also featured on Eat Well For Less, Inside The Factory, Turn Back Time, Harvest, and Supermarket Secrets.

He was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2022 for his services to food and charity. Mr Wallace took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2014 and was partnered with Aliona Vilani.

He has two children, Tom and Libby, from a former relationship. He married Anne-Marie Sterpini in 2016 and the couple have a son called Sid.

The presenter, 60, known for his colourful on-camera quips was previously accused of making sexually inappropriate comments to a female BBC colleague in 2018, and was forced to quit Inside the Factory over “inappropriate” remarks allegedly made to female staff last year, which he denies.

Wallace, who – among other complaints – has been accused by former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark of making jokes of a “sexualised nature” when she was competing on Celebrity MasterChef in 2011, has previously said he resents any insinuation he was “flirting” with someone who is not his wife Anna, 37.

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