The misconduct report into former MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has upheld 45 allegations, including one of unwelcome physical contact.
The report found that 83 allegations were made against the presenter in total, and that several claims of inappropriate sexual language and humour were substantiated.
According to the report’s overview, a “smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also” upheld.
The BBC has apologised to "everyone who has been impacted by Mr Wallace’s behaviour”, and admitted that “opportunities were missed to address” his conduct, stating: “We accept more could and should have been done sooner.”
"This behaviour falls below the values of the BBC and the expectations we have for anyone who works with or for us.
The corporation also confirmed it had cut ties with the presenter. MasterChef’s production company Banijay, who conducted the report alongside law firm Lewis Silkin, said his return to the cookery show was “untenable.”
However, the host, who was described by the law firm’s representatives as being “cooperative and forthcoming”, previously said that he “will not go quietly” and “will not be cancelled for convenience”. Hours after the findings were revealed, Wallace said he is “deeply sorry for any distress caused”.
The report’s findings concluded that six complaints had been received between 2005 and 2024, with the BBC receiving an additional six in that time period. Seventy-eight witnesses provided evidence.
According to the report, Banijay previously “undertook an investigation into an allegation in 2015 and understood the complainant was happy with the outcome.”
Elsewhere, “the BBC intervened in response to a complaint in 2017, following which Mr Wallace was warned of the need to change his behaviour.” The report said that “Mr Wallace took steps to heed that warning”.
The “vast majority (94 per cent)” of the 83 allegations were linked to behaviour that allegedly happened between 2005 and 2018. Only one was substantiated after that time period.
Wallace faced multiple accusations, including claims that he made inappropriate sexual jokes, asked for the phone numbers of female production staff, and behaved unprofessionally around female colleagues on set. He denied the allegations.
Last week, the presenter said he had been sacked as Masterchef presenter as BBC News said that it had been approached by more than 50 people with new claims about him.
Patrick Holland, chief executive of Banijay UK, said it was “clear that escalation procedures were not as robust as they should have been” back in the mid 2000s.
“We are extremely sorry to anyone who has been impacted by this behaviour and felt unable to speak up at the time or that their complaint was not adequately addressed,” Holland said.
The fresh allegations against Wallace arrived days before the report’s publication.
The presenter is also facing criticism from disability charities for appearing to link his alleged behaviour with a recent autism diagnosis.
In a lengthy statement to Instagram on 8 July, the former MasterChef host said that he had been formally diagnosed with autism, and suggested that his neurodiversity was “suspected and discussed by colleagues across countless seasons” of the show.
He went on to add that TV bosses had failed to “investigate my disability” or “protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment”.
Meanwhile, a friend of the presenter told The Timesthat Wallace could not wear underwear “because of his autistic hypersensitivity to labels and tight clothing”.
Karen Baxter, a partner and head of investigations at Lewis Silkin, said that his autism diagnosis was “highly relevant in the context of the findings made, particularly regarding his use of humour as a ‘masking’ technique and his difficulty in reading social cues”.
Baxter added: “Mr Wallace accepts that his diagnosis may help to explain some of his actions, but he does not wish to hide behind it.”
The report found that Wallace “was consistently described as energetic, humorous, and generally able to put contestants at ease” – but that some of these interactions and comments “made within earshot of contestants or colleagues sometimes resulted in offence and/or left people feeling uncomfortable”.
However, ahead of the findings, Wallace was criticised by Seema Flower, founder of disabilities consultancy BlindAmbition, who told BBC News that there was “no excuse” for inappropriate behaviour and asked: “Where does it leave us if we use autism as an excuse to behave in whatever way we like?”
Emily Banks, founder of neurodiversity training body Enna, told the broadcaster that autism “doesn’t absolve anyone of responsibility, and it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t tell the difference between right and wrong”, while Dan Harris from the charity Neurodiversity in Business said that autism “is not a free pass for bad behaviour”.
A National Autistic Society spokesperson said: “Every autistic person is different, just like every non-autistic person is different, so it is important not to generalise or make judgements based on the actions, words or behaviour of any one individual.”
Wallace first stepped away from his role on MasterChef nine months ago, after the BBC received a number of complaints about his conduct. He was replaced by Grace Dent on the celebrity edition of the show, and also dropped as an ambassador for the charity Ambitious about Autism.
His lawyers have said that “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.
No decision has yet been made about whether to air the MasterChef series featuring Wallace which was filmed last year.
A BBC spokesperson said: “At this stage we are not going to make a final decision on the broadcast of the series that was filmed last year.
“We know this is disappointing for fans of the show and those who took part, and at the appropriate time Banijay UK will consult further with the amateur contestants.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy supported the BBC’s decision to cut ties with Wallace, calling the allegations against him “horrendous”.
In an Instagram post shared before the finings were made poublic, Wallace launched a lengthy tirade against the BBC, claiming that he had decided to “speak out” and share the findings of the months-long investigation into his on-set behaviour, which he described as “full and forensic”.
He said that he “cannot sit in silence while my reputation is further damaged to protect others”, and stated that the then-unpublished investigation “exonerates me of all the serious allegations which made headlines last year”.
The former greengrocer said that the report found him “guilty of inappropriate language between 2005 and 2018”. He apologised “without reservation”, adding: “I recognise that some of my humour and language, at times, was inappropriate.”
However, he maintained that the report showed the “most damaging claims” against him, “including allegations from public figures which have not been upheld”, to be “baseless”.
“I was hired by the BBC and MasterChef as the cheeky greengrocer,” he continued. “A real person with warmth, character, rough edges and all. For over two decades, that authenticity was part of the brand.
“Now, in a sanitised world, that same personality is seen as a problem.”
In response to Wallace’s statement, the BBC told The Independent: “Banijay UK instructed the law firm Lewis Silkin to run an investigation into allegations against Gregg Wallace. We are not going to comment until the investigation is complete and the findings are published.”
Wallace was the original presenter of the BBC show Saturday Kitchen in 2002 and has also featured on Eat Well For Less?, Inside The Factory, Turn Back Time and Supermarket Secrets.
He is most known for presenting MasterChef, MasterChef: The Professionals and Celebrity MasterChef.
Additional reporting by Agencies
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