Gregg Wallace Opens Up About 2018 Complaint and Its Impact
Former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace has publicly shared details of a complaint he received in 2018, stemming from a joke about a drug dealer and a comment he made calling someone attractive. The revelation came during an Instagram Live session on April 18, where Wallace expressed that the incident left him suffering from terrible anxiety and prompted significant personal change.
Frustration Over Delayed Complaints
Wallace began by voicing his frustration about complaints being lodged years after the alleged incidents occurred. He stated, I don't mind that I may have got things wrong, but it would have been helpful if people would have told me at the time, and then I could have changed. Telling me 15 years later, there's not a lot I can do about it. He emphasized that many of the complaints against him were over a decade old, making it impossible for him to address or alter his past behavior.
Details of the 2018 Incident
Specifically, Wallace recounted that in 2018, he faced a complaint not from MasterChef but from another television show. The complaint involved him calling a woman attractive and telling a joke about a drug dealer. He reflected, I had a complaint in 2018, not on MasterChef, on another show, for calling someone attractive and telling a joke about a drug dealer. So I changed, ironically. I really changed, and suffered terrible anxiety thinking, 'Oh, crikey, You don't have to say much to get into trouble here.' This experience led him to modify his conduct, albeit with significant emotional distress.
Context of Workplace Environment
Wallace also contextualized his actions within the high-energy environment of television production. He explained, My job was to get ramped up into a state of high excitement by the directors in the morning. You're sharing jokes with the crew, bouncing off each other, some of them crude, like you know, everyone's joining in, male and female, and then let loose into the audience. He added that if he had worked in a desk job or construction, he likely would not have faced such complaints, highlighting the unique pressures of his role.
Historical Complaints and BBC Investigations
In 2024, Wallace addressed earlier complaints from 2018, which included allegations of making inappropriate comments to a younger woman and removing his shirt in front of her on the panel show Impossible Celebrities. In a since-deleted Instagram video, he stated that the BBC had investigated and cleared him of making sexual comments, asserting, With reference to what's in the newspapers, these allegations were investigated by the BBC six years ago, and my comments were found to be not sexual. I repeat not sexual. He also stressed his fidelity to his wife, Anne-Marie Sterpini, and denied any accusations of flirting.
Subsequent Career Developments
Wallace's career took a further turn in July 2025 when he was dismissed from MasterChef following a BBC investigation that substantiated over 40 complaints about his behavior on the show. These included one instance of unwanted physical contact and three occasions of being inappropriately dressed. His co-presenter John Torode was also fired after a substantiated allegation of using an extremely offensive racist term. Wallace later filed a High Court claim seeking up to £10,000 in damages for distress and harassment but discontinued it in February, with the BBC confirming he received no payment.
The BBC has maintained a stance of not commenting on individuals, stating in response to inquiries, Whilst we do not comment on individuals, if issues are raised they are dealt with swiftly and appropriately at the time. We do not tolerate any form of inappropriate behaviour and have robust processes in place. This series of events underscores the ongoing scrutiny and consequences faced by public figures in the entertainment industry.
