Half of Gregg Wallace’s recipes have disappeared from the BBC Food website following his departure from MasterChef, sparking anger online.
Six of the disgraced TV presenter’s 11 dishes have been quietly removed in recent weeks, including his “comforting” sausage and lentil soup, “delightfully simple” mince pie ice cream, raspberry pavlova, raspberry marinated rack of lamb and leek and potato soup.
The cull follows Wallace’s sacking from MasterChef last month after a damning report into his behaviour. The 60 year old was accused of misconduct by nearly 50 women, although the most serious claims including groping and flashing were not upheld.
Wallace, who fronted the BBC cooking competition from 2005, has strongly denied wrongdoing.
Speaking to The Sun last month, he said: “I’m not a groper, a sex pest or a flasher. So much has been perceived incorrectly.”
While several of his recipes remain online, including pork and apple burgers, the disappearance of others has left fans unimpressed.
One user complained of “another stupid cancellation by the BBC”, adding: “Whatever you think of the guy, it was hardly his recipes that were the problem.”
Another fan compared the move to still listening to Michael Jackson, while a third asked: “Can’t we separate the art from the artist?”
The BBC insisted the decision was not linked to Wallace’s exit, stressing that recipes are routinely refreshed across the site and that those from a range of chefs have also been taken down.
Wallace first found fame as a greengrocer before moving into broadcasting, becoming a household name alongside John Torode, 60, on MasterChef.
Both men were dismissed last month after nearly two decades on-air, with Torode’s exit following the resurfacing of historic racist remarks. He too denied any wrongdoing.
The row over recipes comes as MasterChef itself faces criticism. Viewers accused the BBC of “disgraceful” editing after spotting repeated and awkwardly cut clips of Wallace in the latest series, which was filmed before his dismissal.
Producers confirmed that the pair would still appear but with reduced screen time, while two contestants have asked to be removed from episodes to avoid being shown alongside the former presenters.
