Former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace has begun legal proceedings against the BBC over a data protection claim, according to filings at the High Court. While the details of the case remain undisclosed, the move comes just weeks after Wallace was dismissed following a damning misconduct report. The BBC has said it has not yet been formally notified of the action and therefore cannot comment further.
Wallace, who fronted MasterChef for two decades, was sacked in July after an independent inquiry substantiated 45 allegations of misconduct against him. The investigation, commissioned by the production company Banijay and conducted by a law firm, upheld claims ranging from inappropriate sexual language to culturally insensitive remarks. It also included one incident of unwelcome physical contact and three cases where he was reportedly in a state of undress.
In total, 83 allegations were made against the presenter, though Wallace has insisted that “none of the serious allegations” were proven. In a statement earlier this summer, he apologised for “any distress caused” but maintained that his actions were misunderstood, particularly regarding the unwanted touching complaint. “It was never intended,” he said.
The scandal also implicated his co-host John Torode, who was accused of using a severely offensive racist term. Torode claimed to have no recollection of the incident, but both he and Wallace were ultimately dismissed. Despite their departure, the BBC decided to air the latest amateur series of MasterChef to honour the efforts of the contestants. Director General Tim Davie later defended the decision, stressing that the consequences for the presenters had already been “very significant.”
Following the shake-up, food critic Grace Dent and chef Anna Haugh have been announced as the new hosts of MasterChef. Meanwhile, Wallace’s legal action marks the latest twist in a scandal that has rocked one of the BBC’s most successful shows and raised further questions about misconduct in the corporation’s flagship programmes.
