Minister criticises 'cultures of silence' after Wallace claims

There are "too galore cultures of silence", Lisa Nandy has said, pursuing the allegations against MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace.

Speaking to MPs connected Tuesday, Nandy said she was "prepared to instrumentality further action" if the media manufacture couldn't code claims of misconduct.

Wallace stepped speech from presenting MasterChef 2 weeks ago, after a BBC News probe revealed allegations of inappropriate intersexual comments and inappropriate behaviour against him.

His lawyers person powerfully denied helium engages successful behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.

Appearing earlier the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Nandy spoke astir caller questions of behaviour, including those astir Wallace.

She said: "Having spoken with the BBC successful caller weeks astir the Gregg Wallace allegations, I americium truly wide that we're seeing excessively galore of these cultures of soundlessness and issues being swept nether the rug.

"People who cannot beforehand done the existent complaints strategy due to the fact that it would person an interaction connected their career, perchance ending their career.

"And I americium wide that radical request to beryllium heard, enactment has to beryllium taken and perpetrators person to beryllium held to account."

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

They included the broadcaster Kirsty Wark, who appeared connected Celebrity MasterChef. Most, however, were accumulation workers. Many were freelancers.

Nandy said that 1 of her concerns is that the originative industries trust heavy connected freelancers: "It's precise casual employment contracts, radical are often employed oregon promoted due to the fact that of who they know, whether they're liked oregon trusted, and you bash get a batch of younger radical coming into those industries, and determination is an tremendous powerfulness imbalance betwixt the radical who tally those industries and the radical who enactment successful them."

She added that the Department of Business and Trade and the lawman Prime Minister were pursuing a program to "make enactment pay".

"They're looking precise intimately astatine the usage of things similar unpaid internships which they're intending to consult on, self-employed workers, zero-hours contracts, harassment."

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Nandy besides confirmed that connected Wednesday she would beryllium gathering the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA), an manufacture assemblage aimed astatine tackling bullying and harassment successful the sector.

She said she shared their position, that it was "better that the manufacture grips this".

"But if they don't, I volition beryllium prepared to instrumentality further action," she said.

Nandy added that she was "quite astonished" that erstwhile she got the database of organisations that are financially supporting CIISA, Banijay – the accumulation institution that employs Gregg Wallace and makes MasterChef – was not connected the list.

"I instrumentality rather a dim presumption of institution executives that don't instrumentality this seriously, and aft I've had those discussions with CIISA I volition constitute to the seat to update the committee connected the enactment that we're taking guardant with them."

BBC News has approached Banijay for a comment.

Previously, the institution has said it takes claims surrounding Wallace "incredibly seriously", but added that portion the outer probe is going on, it volition not beryllium commenting connected idiosyncratic allegations.

It besides said that MasterChef payment processes "are regularly adapted and strengthened and determination are wide protocols to enactment some unit and contributors".

Last week, Wallace apologised for suggesting allegations against him came from "a fistful of middle-class women of a definite age".

He concluded: "It's evident to maine I request to instrumentality immoderate clip retired portion this probe is nether way. I anticipation you recognize and I bash anticipation that you volition judge this apology."

On Friday, BBC bosses said they would not tolerate behaviour that "falls beneath the standards we expect".

In the connection sent to unit by the corporation's director-general Tim Davie, and Charlotte Moore, the BBC's main contented officer, they added that they would beryllium supporting Banijay UK with its investigation, and added: "It is captious that each portion of the BBC upholds our values, including wherever companies are moving with us".