Gregg Wallace has landed a partnership with an autism charity after being accused of using his condition as an “excuse”.
The 60-year-old was axed from MasterChef in November 2024 amid numerous allegations of inappropriate conduct in the workplace.
After 45 out of 83 allegations of inappropriate behaviour were upheld, the host his late autism diagnosis means he “struggles to read people” and is “still learning”.
Wallace was dropped as an ambassador of the charity Ambitious About Autism and another charity, Neurodiversity in Business, said autism is “not a free pass for bad behaviour”.
Now, he is being lined up as a patron of Disability Advice and Welfare Network (DAWN).
Boss Annie Sands said Wallace’s investigation report “screams neurodiversity” and the former greengrocer “deserves support”.
“People were attacking him and saying he was using his autism as an excuse. I heard someone say ‘autistic people don’t make inappropriate remarks,’” she told The Mirror.
“Well, that’s a ridiculous thing to say. Come and work with us for a week, you’ll hear a lot worse than that. Each autistic person presents differently.”
Sands, 63, who was also diagnosed with autism later in life, went on: “I’ve seen Gregg’s autism report and it screams neurodiversity.
“We help all those who come to us, everybody deserves support. For me it’s about putting Gregg Wallace the celebrity to one side and working with Gregg Wallace the autistic person.”
Wallace said Sands has been a “pillar of strength” for him during a “very dark time”.
The presenter added that he has “learned so much” about his autism and that Sands’ advice has helped him “make sense” of his condition.
An independent review into Wallace’s behaviour found that the “majority” of the upheld allegations related to “inappropriate sexual language and humour”.
A “smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also substantiated”, with “one incident of unwelcome physical contact” also substantiated.
The report noted that during the course of the investigation, which was over a seven-month period, Wallace was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and said that the findings should be viewed in the context of his neurodiversity.
Wallace apologised for any “hurt or distress caused” and later said he is not a “groper,” “flasher,” or “sex pest”.
“I’m not a groper. People think I’ve been taking my trousers down and exposing myself – I am not a flasher,” he told The Sun last week.
“People think I’m a sex pest. I am not.”
Wallace also said his recent autism diagnosis means he struggles “to read people”.
“I know people find me weird. Autism is a disability, a registered disability,” he said.
Last year, a BBC News investigation revealed a string of allegations of inappropriate sexual comments and alleged inappropriate behaviour against Wallace by 13 people who worked with him across a range of shows over a 17-year period, including former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark.
In December, Wallace claimed in an Instagram video that complaints about his behaviour came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”.
After backlash to his comments, he apologised for any “offence” or “upset” caused and said he would “take some time out”.
