Gregg Wallace accusers criticise his response to allegations

Two of Gregg Wallace's accusers person criticised his effect to allegations of humanities misconduct, aft helium said they had travel from a "handful of middle-class women of a definite age".

One of his accusers said the comments showed helium "clearly hasn't learnt his lesson", portion different said helium wrongly "seems to beryllium saying he's the unfortunate of classism".

In a video posted to Instagram connected Sunday, the presenter said determination had been "13 complaints" from "over 4,000 contestants" helium had worked with successful 20 years connected the BBC amusement MasterChef.

Wallace stepped speech earlier this week aft a BBC News probe revealed allegations of inappropriate intersexual comments and inappropriate behaviour against him.

The probe heard from 13 radical spanning a scope of ages, who worked crossed 5 antithetic shows.

Wallace's lawyers person powerfully denied helium engages successful sexually harassing behaviour, portion the BBC said it volition “always perceive if radical privation to marque america alert of thing directly”.

The 60-year-old told his much than 200,000 followers earlier connected Sunday: "I've been doing MasterChef for 20 years - amateur, nonrecreational and Celebrity MasterChef - and I deliberation successful that clip I person worked with implicit 4,000 contestants of each antithetic ages, each antithetic backgrounds, each walks of life.

"And seemingly now, I'm speechmaking successful the paper, there's been 13 complaints successful that time.

"Now, successful the paper I tin spot the complaints coming from a fistful of middle-class women of a definite property conscionable from Celebrity MasterChef. This isn't right."

He finished his connection by saying: "In implicit 20 years of television, tin you ideate however galore women, pistillate contestants connected MasterChef, person made intersexual remarks oregon intersexual innuendo - tin you imagine?"

Wallace besides reposted screenshots of supportive messages received from radical who said they were erstwhile contestants connected the amusement oregon had worked with him.

Anna, not her existent name, was portion of a radical that raised a ailment astir Wallace successful 2018 aft moving with him.

Reacting to the Instagram video, she told BBC News she was "not amazed he's trying to minimise and disregard the radical who person bravely travel forward".

"He intelligibly hasn't learnt his lesson," she added. "I’m funny to spot what consequences he’ll yet beryllium facing from the BBC and [MasterChef accumulation company] Banijay UK for his behaviour towards women of each ages.

"While they decide, possibly Gregg should usage this clip to bespeak connected and instrumentality immoderate accountability for however helium abused his presumption of powerfulness alternatively of adding flames to the occurrence connected societal media."

Another accuser, James, besides not his existent name, said Wallace's video effect "seems to beryllium saying he's the unfortunate of classism".

"His humour isn't typically working-class oregon prone to misinterpretation: from my perspective, its main intent is to trial boundaries, marque different radical (especially women) uncomfortable, and show his powerfulness wrong the room," helium said.

"And it's not conscionable women who are offended - plentifulness of men are too, it's conscionable that acold excessively fewer of them person the big called retired connected his atrocious behaviour."

Another woman, who antecedently worked with Wallace but is not 1 of the 13 radical progressive successful the BBC News investigation, called the video "so dismissive of the radical that person travel forward", particularly younger women.

"I don’t cognize what people and property person to bash with it," she added.

Actress Emma Kennedy, who won Celebrity MasterChef successful 2012 and says she complained astir Wallace's behaviour astatine the time, said "it doesn’t substance what the property of immoderate pistillate is".

She added: "Playing the 'they’re having a spell astatine maine due to the fact that I’m moving class' paper is ridiculous."

TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend astir an brushwood with Wallace respective years agone that near her "so embarrassed", aft helium "made a notation to thing [he and his partner] did successful bed".

She said Wallace's latest comments were "unacceptable", adding: "He is fundamentally saying this is simply a people contented and middle-class women don't recognize the benignant of things helium says due to the fact that he's working-class."

On Thursday, Banijay UK said Wallace would measurement distant from presenting the amusement portion allegations of humanities misconduct were investigated.

He is "committed to afloat co-operating passim the process", Banijay added.

It came aft BBC News sent a missive to Wallace's representatives, mounting retired allegations we person heard from 13 people, crossed a 17-year period.

One of them was broadcaster Kirsty Wark, a Celebrity MasterChef contestant successful 2011, who said helium told "sexualised" jokes during filming.

It comes arsenic broadcasters and accumulation companies look caller questions implicit their handling of allegations against Wallace.

Radio big Aasmah Mir said she initially complained to Banijay successful 2017 astir inappropriate comments Wallace had allegedly made during filming of the programme. It is believed she past had to instrumentality her ailment to the BBC.

In an interior email, BBC enforcement Kate Phillips, who present heads up unscripted programmes for the corporation, said his behaviour connected acceptable was “unacceptable and cannot continue," the Sunday Times reported.

She added she would marque definite that she was "informed consecutive away" should further allegations beryllium made against him.

Mir aboriginal sent an email that was copied to Phillips, saying: "This indispensable not hap again to different woman."

Some of the allegations against Wallace successful the BBC News probe subordinate to events aft 2017.

There was different ailment successful 2018, which our probe revealed, relating to a antithetic amusement called Impossible Celebrities.

A BBC probe astatine the clip recovered his behaviour was “unacceptable and unprofessional” and helium got a 90-minute talking to by Ms Phillips.

Separately, the Observer says a missive containing aggregate claims of inappropriate behaviour by Gregg Wallace was sent to the BBC successful 2022, but did not effect successful further probe astatine the time.

A BBC root said connected Sunday "it would beryllium incorrect to study the BBC has done thing if oregon erstwhile matters person been raised with us".

"We proceed to impulse caution astir pre-judging immoderate of this, peculiarly the engagement of BBC unit members and immoderate inference they person not acted appropriately," the root told BBC News.

On Saturday, Banijay UK announced it had appointed "rigorous" instrumentality steadfast Lewis Silkin to pb an probe into Wallace's alleged misconduct.