Gregg Wallace has launched legal action against the BBC after being dismissed from his long‑standing role as MasterChef co‑host.
In November 2024, it was announced that Wallace, 60, would step away from his role on the BBC cooking show and all its spin-offs while historical allegations of misconduct were investigated.
No information about the suit, which has been filed at the High Court in London, has been made public yet.
The Sun reported that Wallace is requesting the release of over 200 internal documents which he believes could exonerate him. A source speaking to the outlet also added that he may pursue a disability discrimination claim and argue that the BBC failed to properly accommodate his autism.
“We have not been formally notified of any legal proceedings so at this stage we are unable to comment,” a BBC spokesperson told BBC News, which is editorially independent from the corporation.
The Independent has contacted the BBC for comment.
Wallace’s MasterChef sacking came after an independent report substantiated 45 allegations against him, including claims of inappropriate sexual language and one incident of unwelcome physical contact.
He has apologised “for any distress caused”, saying the report into his misconduct cleared him of “the most serious and sensational accusations”.
His co-host John Torode was also the subject of an allegation about using racist language that was upheld as part of the Lewis Silkin review, but the TV star said he had “no recollection of the incident” and was “shocked and saddened” by the allegation.
The previously recorded final series featuring Wallace has been broadcast, albeit with some contestants like Sarah Shafi requesting to be edited out.
Upon announcing that the series would be shown, a BBC spokesperson said: “After careful consideration and consultation with the contestants, we have decided to broadcast the amateur series of MasterChef.”
The corporation acknowledged that “not everyone will agree” with what it recognised as a difficult decision.
MasterChef champion Thomas Frake, who won the series in 2020, and Greek chef Irini Tzortzoglou, who was crowned in 2019, have both said they support the BBC’s decision to air the controversial episodes.
“If I had gone through all that – the highs and lows – then somebody said to me, ‘Well actually, we may not show the three months of your life when you spilled your blood and guts to see how far you could go,’ I’d be very unhappy. I’m very thrilled to see it on our screens,” Tzortzoglou told The Independent.
There appeared to be fewer jokes from Wallace and Torode and fewer chats between the hosts and chefs in the first episode of the new series, which lost almost one million viewers compared with last year’s launch.
The BBC confirmed on Monday that Grace Dent and Anna Haugh will be replacing Wallace and Torode on the flagship version of MasterChef. Earlier in the month, TV host and chef Matt Tebbutt was announced as Wallace’s replacement on the next series of MasterChef: The Professionals, along with long-term hosts Monica Galetti and Marcus Wareing.
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