A Downing Street spokesperson has weighed in on “MasterChef” U.K. host Gregg Wallace‘s response to misconduct allegations against him, calling it “inappropriate and misogynistic.”
According to BBC News, who received the statement from the government, culture secretary Lisa Nandy has also talked with executives for the BBC, which airs the show, about his behavior.
Last week, 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 on Sunday, where he said the accusations came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age.”
“In over 20 years of television, can you imagine how many women, female contestants on ‘MasterChef,’ have made sexual remarks or sexual innuendo — can you imagine?” Wallace added.
The comment from Downing Street comes as MP Rupa Huq called for the BBC to pause airing the show during his investigation, saying that it could be “triggering” for the women who have come forward. The next episode of “MasterChef: The Professionals” is set to air on Monday night.
“I think possibly there is an argument for pausing while this investigation takes its course, and maybe not airing it tonight,” Huq said on BBC’s Radio 4 earlier this morning.
When asked if the show should be paused entirely, the Downing Street spokesperson told BBC News: “It’s right that a thorough investigation is conducted. Obviously that’s for the BBC and the production company.”
Representatives for Wallace, the BBC and Banijay U.K. did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment.
Wallace’s accusers include broadcaster Kirsty Wark, who was a contestant on “Celebrity MasterChef” in 2011. She alleged in an interview with BBC News that Wallace told “sexualized” jokes during the production of the show.
In response to the allegations, the BBC said: “We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.”
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