It was a showbusiness scandal that shook viewers of one of the BBC‘s most popular shows.
Now broadcaster Kirsty Wark has revealed she is glad she publicly accused MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace of inappropriate behaviour.
BBC executives are investigating allegations of sexual misconduct from more than a dozen individuals – including Ms Wark – against Wallace who stepped down from the show last November.
The Scot appeared on Celebrity Masterchef in 2011 and claims Wallace, 60, told stories and jokes of a ‘sexualised nature’ in front of contestants and crew.
In an interview yesterday the former Newsnight presenter said: ‘I’m glad I called it out. I did what I had to do.
‘I don’t know what’s going to happen, but if it draws attention to the fact there are imbalances in the industry and sometimes they can be exploited, that’s very important.’
Wallace’s lawyers have denied claims he engaged in behaviour of a sexually harassing or inappropriate nature.
Ms Wark has been criticised for not speaking out sooner but says she raised her concerns at the time with a Masterchef producer.
Broadcaster Kirsty Wark (pictured in 2024) has said she is glad she took her accusations of MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallacepublic
BBC executives are investigating allegations of sexual misconduct from more than a dozen individuals against Wallace
Speaking to The Sunday Post, she added: ‘What I am surprised about, or perhaps I’m not surprised, is how long it went on for afterwards.’
Kirsty Wark, now 70, retired from Newsnight last July after 30 years hosting the current affairs programme
Wallace ‘stepped down’ as MasterChef presenter after 13 people came forward to accuse him of making inappropriate sexual comments over a 17-year period from 2005 to 2022.
He has been accused of taking his top off in front of a female worker of the BBC cookery show, saying he wanted to ‘give her a fashion show’, made ‘sexualised’ jokes, and asked for massages.
On another occasion, it is alleged, Wallace told a junior female colleague he wasn’t wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans.
It has also emerged the presenter was formally warned by the BBC about his behaviour in 2018, but was allowed to return to the screen, raising further questions about the judgment of corporation bosses.
At the time, BBC bosses launched an investigation into allegations that included repeated lewd remarks to a female colleague, and concluded that ‘many aspects of [Wallace’s] behaviour were unacceptable and unprofessional’.
An executive held a 90-minute meeting with Wallace to make clear ‘how seriously the BBC takes this matter’. The complainant was said to have been reassured action would be taken.
Singer Rod Stewart accused Wallace of humiliating his wife Penny Lancaster on MasterChef
Wallace allegedly told a junior female colleague he wasn’t wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans
In January singer Rod Stewart accused Wallace on social media of humiliating his wife Penny Lancaster on MasterChef.
In 2023, Mr Wallace stepped down from his Inside The Factory show after offensive comments about weight to female members of staff during a ‘friendly’ conversation at a factory in York.
Glasgow-born Ms Wark recently revealed she gets recognised more for a brief appearance on Doctor Who than anything she has done in her news broadcasting career.
She said a cameo role on Doctor Who in 2009 took her fame to a new level, adding: ‘I might have been on Newsnight for many, many years but that cameo on Doctor Who got me more recognition than anything I had ever done.’
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