Under-fire MasterChef star Gregg Wallace apologises for ‘any offence precipitated’ after backlash for saying complaints about his behaviour are from ‘middle-class ladies of a sure age’

Gregg Wallace has apologised after backlash against his comments that ‘middle class women of a certain age’ are behind complaints against him.

The celebrity chef apologised for ‘any offence I caused’ after his controversial comments on Instagram on the weekend.

The former greengrocer has stepped back from the BBC‘s Masterchef while allegations into alleged misconduct are investigated.

Wallace is facing claims from at least 13 women who have accused him of inappropriate behaviour, including roaming around on set naked with a sock on his penis.

In a fresh video on social media posted this afternoon, the under-fire chef said: ‘I want to apologise for any offence that I caused with my post yesterday and any upset I have caused to a lot of people.

‘I wasn’t in a good headspace when I posted it. I’ve been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion.

‘I felt very alone [and] under siege yesterday when I posted it. It’s obvious to me I need to take some time out now while this investigation is underway.

‘I hope you understand and I do hope that you can accept my apology.’

Wallace’s lawyers say ‘it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature’. 

It came as Sir Keir Starmer said Wallace was ‘completely inappropriate and misogynistic’ for blaming ‘middle class women of a certain’ age for his MasterChef ruination amid growing pressure on the BBC to take the show off air.

And in a further sign of Wallace’s fury, he has today unfollowed co-host John Torode and his wife on social media. 

After spending nearly two decades presenting Britain’s best-loved cooking show together, the legacy of famed duo Gregg Wallace and John Torode appears to have come crashing down in just a matter of months.

Torode has not uttered a word on Wallace’s MasterChef exit, despite working together since 2005.

But previous comments in which he admitted he had never been a ‘friend’ of Wallace’s, as well as claims about them moving to opposite sides of the room when the cameras cut, show that all was not well in their partnership. 

As Gregg fights for his TV career, it also emerged today: 

• Sir Keir Starmer believes Gregg Wallace was ‘completely inappropriate and misogynistic’ for blaming ‘middle class women of a certain’ age for his MasterChef ruination; 
• BBC One should pull MasterChef off air until the probe into Gregg Wallace is completed, a senior Labour MP has said; 
• The BBC allowed Wallace to remain on air despite at least four complaints being made against him. Bosses are under pressure to explain why they did not act sooner; 
• More celebrities speak of how his sex-related comments embarrassed them. One cab driver claims he almost threw star out of his taxi after he got in and asked: ‘Can I ask you what your sex life between you and your wife is like?’ 

BBC presenter Wallace, 60, stepped down from MasterChef last week after it was revealed that 13 people, including Newsnight host Kirsty Wark, accused him of ‘wrong’ and inappropriate ‘sexualised’ behaviour during filming.

He stands accused of making ‘inappropriate sexual jokes’, asking for the phone numbers of female members of production staff, and undressing in front of and standing ‘too close’ to women working on his shows. He allegedly walked naked on set with only a sock on his penis.

Former Celebrity MasterChef contestants say they raised concerns about Wallace’s alleged behaviour as far back as 12 years ago, with actress Emma Kennedy – who won the series in 2012 – alleging she had witnessed Wallace ‘grope’ a camera assistant during a photo shoot that year.

The grocer turned broadcaster made things worse yesterday when he posted a series of incendiary videos online where he hit back at critics by saying: ‘Can you imagine how many women on MasterChef, female contestants, have made sexual remarks or sexual innuendo?’

Wallace had said: ‘I’ve been doing MasterChef for 20 years, amateur, celebrity and professional MasterChef, and I think, in that time, I have worked with over 4,000 contestants of all different ages, all different backgrounds, all walks of life.

‘Apparently now, I’m reading in the paper, there’s been 13 complaints in that time. I can see the complaints coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age, just from Celebrity MasterChef. This isn’t right’.

But his posts caused outrage and were branded ‘shocking’ and laced with ‘thinly veiled misogyny’ – and did not touch on the sexual allegations made by numerous MasterChef celebrities, producers and contestants on the show he left last week.

One insider told MailOnline today: ‘Gregg has gone rogue and ignored all advice’. Another expert said: ‘He needs to shut up’.

Ulrika Jonsson, who competed on Celebrity MasterChef in 2017, saying she was ‘seething’ after seeing the comments – while Kirstie Allsopp described his response as ‘unacceptable’.

And Mark Borkowski, one of the UK’s leading PR gurus and crisis managers, told MailOnline today that Wallace was ‘only listening to his own ego’ instead of advice, adding: ‘The first law of PR in a crisis is never let your emotions rule your Instagram.’

There are also allegations related to four other shows Wallace worked on.

There are 13 people, including Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, who have formally complained about Wallace’s behaviour over a 17-year period across five shows, between 2005 and 2022. 

The Sunday Times yesterday reported that BBC executive Kate Phillips raised concerns Wallace’s behaviour was ‘unacceptable and cannot continue’ after broadcaster and former Celebrity MasterChef contestant Aasmah Mir complained about inappropriate comments during filming.

The newspaper claimed Wallace received another warning the following year after a complaint was raised about his behaviour on the quiz show Impossible Celebrities.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Telegraph reported that producer Georgia Harding, who worked on MasterChef between 2014 and 2015 and later Eat Well For Less, claimed she raised concerns about ‘inappropriate’ behaviour from him while working on the show.

She alleged the presenter undressed in front of colleagues and ‘made inappropriate sexual jokes’ in front of the crew and people appearing on the shows, and said ‘nothing was done’ about concerns raised, claiming there was ‘an acceptance’ of his behaviour.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has held talks with BBC bosses in the wake of the Wallace row, Downing Street said.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘The Culture Secretary spoke with the BBC leadership at the end of last week on this matter and wider workplace culture issues to seek assurances that there are robust processes in place to deal with complaints.

‘Clearly the comments we have seen from the individual over the weekend were completely inappropriate and misogynistic.

‘More broadly the BBC is conducting an independent review into workplace culture which must deliver clear and timely recommendations. It’s essential that staff and the wider public have confidence that the BBC takes these issues seriously.’

Asked whether MasterChef should be pulled off air, the spokesman added the decision was for the BBC and the show’s production company, and reiterated that Downing Street believes it is ‘right’ that a thorough investigation is conducted.

This is a breaking news story and is being updated.