Gregg Wallace has been defended by this year’s MasterChef: The Professionals winner as being ‘very encouraging and supportive’.
Dan Merriman took home the trophy following the show’s final after coming up with an ‘outstanding’ menu.
Gregg, 60, has come under fire after a BBC investigation heard from 13 people making allegations about inappropriate sexual comments he is said to have made.
Since then a wave of other allegations have been made including from one woman who accused Wallace of groping her while another said he pressed his crotch against her while filming BBC show Eat Well For Less.
It has also come to light that he allegedly harassed a young reporter who interviewed him, asking for a ‘snog’ and leaving her voicemails for ‘weeks’ in 2009.
Wallace’s lawyers have strongly denied he engages in sexually harassing behaviour.
Speaking to The Times, Merriman spoke of his experiences with the chef saying he was a ‘happy-go-lucky kind of bloke’.
He said: ‘My experience with Gregg was great. He’s a happy-go-lucky kind of bloke, very encouraging and very supportive. He gave me some great comments and feedback.’
Dan Merriman, pictured, took home the trophy following the show’s final after coming up with an ‘outstanding’ menu.
Speaking to The Times, Mr Merriman spoke of his experiences with Gregg Wallace, pictured, saying he was a ‘happy-go-lucky kind of bloke’
The chef, 60, has come under fire after a BBC investigation which heard from 13 people making allegations about inappropriate sexual comments the chef made
Recently, Gregg’s autobiography ghostwriter also claimed she was sexually harassed.
He announced he was stepping back from presenting the show after nearly 20 years last week while an investigation into his alleged misconduct is carried out.
After the last episode was filmed, Mr Merriman admitted he got home where he was greeted by his partner and a life-size cardboard cut-out of Gregg Wallace with a party hat on top. However, he has made clear he will accept a version for the other judges as well.
He told the newspaper he doesn’t think the scandal will affect how the public sees the show.
He said: ‘At the end of the day the programme is all about the contestants. We’ve had a lot of support from the public, from social media, and I don’t feel like it’s been overshadowed. Nor should it be. It shouldn’t take away from the achievements of any one of the 32 chefs who took part.’
Dan’s winning menu started with barbecued scallop glazed in a sumac, chilli, paprika and Turkish red pepper paste, served with pickled cucumber, filled with roasted garlic and lime yoghurt, a tomato red pepper and fennel ragu, marinated gooseberries, finger limes and a red curry sauce, spiced with cumin and lemongrass, split with a parsley oil.
MasterChef: The Professionals is hosted by Gregg Wallace and Monica Galetti – with the latest episode airing last night
Speaking about the complaints against him, Wallace said they were’coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age’ and declared ‘this isn’t right’
The judges had much to say about Dan during the episode, Marcus Wareing commenting: ‘We have a star.
‘I see Dan’s cookery as fine dining at its very, very best. His food is precise, technical, it’s incredibly creative. I think it’s outstanding. This guy is shining. I can’t wait to see what this chef is going to do in the future.’
Monica Galetti added: ‘From the moment he walked in, he let his cooking do the talking. I don’t think Dan realises how good he is. The kind of cooking he’s been doing takes years to get right.’
And Gregg Wallace said: ‘Dan’s food has been blowing us away, not just in this Final but for round after round. Dish after dish of absolute beauty.
‘Watching this chef grow in stature has been a wonderful thing to witness. I think this has been a turning point in Dan’s life.’
Following the allegations into Wallace, BBC bosses sent an email to staff at the corporation saying they would ‘tolerate behaviour that falls below the standards we expect’.
They added the corporation will continue to champion ‘a culture that is kind, inclusive and respectful’ after Wallace stepped away from the show after allegations of misconduct were made against him by more than a dozen women.
Following the allegations, Wallace initially lashed saying he had worked with people of ‘all different ages, all different backgrounds and all different walks of life’.
Speaking about the complaints against him, he said they were ‘coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age’ and declared ‘this isn’t right’.
He later apologised for ‘any offence I caused’.
MailOnline revealed last week how his alleged inappropriate behaviour was blamed on his secret autism condition by friends.
The star has never been ‘formally diagnosed’, but his close pals believe he displays ‘all classic symptoms’ including an inability to judge social situations and having a ‘lighter filter on the subject of sex’.
Wallace’s lawyers said: ‘It is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.’