Gregg Wallace Says He Is ‘Deeply Sorry’ After 45 Allegations Upheld Against Ex-Masterchef Host

Looks that Gregg Wallace has finally realised that he can’t spin his way out of sexual misconduct allegations by claiming he is autistic, and has decided to apologise to his victims in a new statement.

An investigation into Wallace’s misconduct found a total of 45 out of 83 allegations were substantiated, which included ‘unwelcome physical contact.’ As such, the former Masterchef host put out a statement to the PA news agency, in which he said that he was ‘deeply sorry for any distress’ that his behaviour caused:

‘For eight months, my family and I have lived under a cloud. Trial by media, fuelled by rumour and clickbait. None of the serious allegations against me were upheld. I challenged the remaining issue of unwanted touching, but have had to accept a difference in perception, and I am deeply sorry for any distress caused. It was never intended.

‘I’m relieved that the Banijay report fully recognises that my behaviour changed profoundly in 2018. Some of my humour and language missed the mark. I never set out to harm or humiliate. I always tried to bring warmth and support to MasterChef, on screen and off.

‘After nearly 20 years on the show, I now see that certain patterns, shaped by traits I’ve only recently begun to understand, may have been misread. I also accept that more could have been done, by others and by myself, to address concerns earlier.

‘A late autism diagnosis has helped me understand how I communicate and how I’m perceived. I’m still learning. Banijay have given me great support, and I thank them. But in the end, the BBC left me exposed to trial by media and the damage it leaves in its wake.

‘To those who’ve shown kindness, thank you. It mattered. This has been brutal. For a working-class man with a direct manner, modern broadcasting has become a dangerous place. I was the headline this time. But I won’t be the last.

‘There will be more casualties if the BBC continues down this path, where protecting its legacy matters more than protecting people. For my part, with full legal support, I will consider my next move.’

Well, I guess you can call that an apology. Fair play to him for making it halfway through the apology before mentioning his autism, although I don’t think any excuse he can come up with will ever bring his job with the BBC back.

For what it’s worth, the investigation found that the ‘majority of the allegations against Wallace (94%) related to behaviour which is said to have occurred between 2005 and 2018’, with only one allegation substantiated after 2018.

It also found that the ‘majority of the substantiated allegations against Wallace related to inappropriate sexual language and humour’, adding that ‘a smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also substantiated’, with ‘one incident of unwelcome physical contact’ also substantiated.

Following his sacking by the BBC, Gregg Wallace vowed that he will “not go quietly” and is reportedly set to sue the broadcaster for autism discrimination (lol). That will no doubt prove to be a giant waste of time and money, although I guess he can pay it off by doing Celebrity Big Brother or I’m A Celeb! somewhere down the line.