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Vulnerable freelance workers in television feel “real fear” about coming forward to complain about stars like Gregg Wallace, the head of the broadcasting union has said.
Wallace was fired from MasterChef on Tuesday after fresh allegations to the BBC about his behaviour from a further 50 people.
The general secretary of the Bectu union, Philippa Childs, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she was not surprised about the further allegations about Wallace and said the union had also received complaints about his conduct.
Among the new complaints were allegations that Wallace took his trousers down in front of a woman in a dressing room in 2012, while a participant on the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen said Wallace had put his hand under the table and on to her groin and said “Do you like that?” during a dinner before filming in 2002.
Childs said: “Lots of these people are young female freelancers, and there is a real fear. I can’t overstate the fear of freelancers feel about coming forward in such cases. Because, first of all, they think that … someone like Gregg Wallace is extremely powerful, and therefore who’s going to listen to them?
“And secondly, because they’re freelancers, they feel very vulnerable in terms of their careers and their futures in the industry. So it’s a real problem for the industry to tackle, and it really must tackle it going forward.”
The BBC sacked Wallace before publication of a long-awaited report on a series of allegations last year. In December the BBC confirmed that Grace Dent, who hosts the Guardian’s Comfort Eating podcast, would replace Gregg Wallace alongside John Torode for the next series of Celebrity MasterChef.
Wallace stepped down from the series at the end of November while its production company, Banijay UK, investigated claims of misconduct, which he denies.
The new claims were made as Wallace admitted using inappropriate language but claimed to have been cleared of “the most serious and sensational accusations made against me”.
In a statement on social media, the former BBC presenter said he had now been diagnosed with autism. He said while his neurodiversity was discussed across “countless seasons of MasterChef”, he was given no protection.
“I will not go quietly,” Wallace wrote in a furious Instagram post. “I will not be cancelled for convenience. I was tried by media and hung out to dry well before the facts were established. The full story of this incredible injustice must be told and it is very much a matter of public interest.”
The BBC reported that the majority of new allegations were about claimed inappropriate comments. However, it said 11 women accused him of inappropriate sexual behaviour such as groping and touching. Wallace has denied the allegations.
Among the new allegations were claims that Wallace took his trousers down in front of a woman in a dressing room. The woman, who worked on MasterChef between 2011 and 2013, described his behaviour as “disgusting and predatory”.
She claimed to have reported what had happened but said she was told by staff who were more senior: “You’re over 16. You’re not being Jimmy Saviled.”
A participant on Saturday Kitchen claimed that during a 2002 dinner before filming, Wallace put his hand on her groin and said: “Do you like that?” The BBC also reported that a 19-year-old MasterChef worker tried to complain in 2022 about Wallace’s comments about her body.
A BBC spokesperson said: “Banijay UK instructed the law firm Lewis Silkin to run an investigation into allegations against Gregg Wallace. We are not going to comment until the investigation is complete and the findings are published.” Banijay is not commenting on the report until it is officially published.
