The BBC’s most senior TV executive told Gregg Wallace his behaviour was “unacceptable and cannot continue” in 2018.
So after condemning his conduct, why did the BBC allow the MasterChef presenter to resume his high-profile role, provoking further allegations of inappropriate behaviour, until he was finally axed this week?
BBC staffers believe bosses failed in their duty of care and safeguarding responsibilities towards colleagues over their handling of the “cheeky greengrocer”.
“After 2018 and persistent rumours, they should have been keeping a very close eye on Wallace,” said one BBC staffer.
“It’s the job of BBC commissioning executives to talk regularly to the producers and be across anything that might impact the show,” they added.
On Tuesday Wallace was sacked as MasterChef presenter following an inquiry into alleged misconduct.
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There have been fresh claims about the TV presenter from 50 more people to the the BBC, including allegations he groped one MasterChef worker and pulled his trousers down in front of another, according to BBC News.
Speaking ahead of the publication of a legal review into his conduct, Wallace admitted that he had behaved unsuitably during his time on MasterChef.
But he claimed that the full report, due on Thursday, would exonerate him of the most serious allegations.
“I was hired by the BBC and MasterChef as the cheeky greengrocer. 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,” he added.
Banijay UK, the production company behind MasterChef which is leading the inquiry, said: “While the external investigation is ongoing, we won’t be commenting on individual allegations. We encourage anyone wishing to raise issues or concerns to contact us in confidence.”
The BBC said: “We are not going to comment until the investigation is complete and the findings are published.”
What went wrong at the BBC
BBC insiders are particularly concerned about the handling of Wallace’s alleged behaviour since 2018, after Kate Phillips, who was then controller for entertainment commissioning, spoke to the presenter for 90 minutes to make clear what the BBC expected of him.
According to a letter penned by Phillips and reported by BBC News, she confirmed that many aspects of his behaviour had been “unacceptable” and “unprofessional”.
And she promised that action would be taken “to prevent a similar reoccurrence and to safeguard others in the future”. But further claims were made dating from 2018.
Another BBC figure said: “There will be scrutiny of Kate’s actions. Was she tough enough? Could she have done more about Wallace after speaking to him then?
“Was he allowed to just carry on because of his status? Was she aware of any further complaints after 2018?”
Last month, Phillips, whose hits include Strictly Come Dancing and The Traitors, was appointed the BBC’s Chief Content Officer, a vast role encompassing the BBC’s TV and Radio channels, as well as senior responsibility for talent management.
The BBC said Philips was unaware of any claims prior to 2017 or any of the subsequent claims reported by BBC News.
Other insiders say she would have had limited insight into Wallace’s actions. Impossible Celebrities and MasterChef are produced by independent production companies, including TV giant Banijay, which have their own internal procedures for handling complaints.
But the BBC can’t just shrug off its duty of care, especially on a show that is a staple of its prime-time schedules.
Wallace and John Torode, pictures before what would be their final MasterChef season together in 2024 (Photo: BBC/Shine TV)Future of MasterChef
Industry observers believe the MasterChef brand, with its many spin-offs, is strong enough to survive the scandal.
Food critic Grace Dent is said to have made a seamless transition to presenting Celebrity MasterChef alongside John Torode at the show’s Birmingham base.
Two Christmas specials featuring Wallace, pulled from the 2024 schedules after the allegations were made public, will now never air after Wallace’s sacking, The i Paper understands.
The Wallace saga is another crisis for embattled BBC Director-General Tim Davie.
Days after fending off calls to quit over the Glastonbury Bob Vylan fiasco, the Wallace report has landed just as the BBC is about to publish a review into the Gaza War Zone documentary, withdrawn over the participants’ links to Hamas.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, an increasingly persistent critic of Davie, has said she wants broadcasters to work with a new independent standards watchdog which will give a voice to whistleblowers calling out bad behaviour in the creative industries.
Instead of going quietly, Wallace, who denies accusations of sexual harassment, is going to war with the BBC.
He accuses it of failing to manage his neurodiversity and is making dark noises about exposing other people’s conduct and a “cover up” at the top of the industry.
Phillips is tipped as a successor to Davie. But her wings could be clipped if she is dragged further into the Wallace affair.
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