Gregg Wallace has been accused of placing his hands on the bum of a young female MasterChef assistant.

Gregg Wallace is facing fresh allegations (
Image: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

In recent days, Gregg, 60, has been accused of making inappropriate sexual remarks and jokes by 13 people over a 17 year period. He strongly denied the allegations in a statement issued via his legal representatives. Wallace who has since stepped back from the BBC cooking show during an internal investigation has also been accused of groping individuals.

Although his statements have previously been issued via his official representatives, he took to Instagram on Sunday to directly address the allegations. Turning to Instagram, the cooking expert took aim at those making accusations against him and suggested he has had no complaints over the past 20 years of working on screens. He described his accusers as “a handful of middle class women of a certain age” and also claimed female contestants on MasterChef had made sexual comments of their own.

Now, Emma Kennedy who appeared on the 2012 series of Celebrity MasterChef has spoken to Times Radio about her own experience. Although she admits she never saw Gregg as a “sexual predator”, she claims she did witness “inappropriate behaviour”. Speaking to Times Radio, Emma said: “I went into the studio and it was me and Greg and the photographer’s assistant and the photographer’s assistant was a young woman, very attractive young woman, and she was bending over dealing with some equipment.

Celebrity MasterChef winner Emma Kennedy claims Gregg ‘touched the bum’ of an assistant ( 
Image:
BBC)

“And as she was bending over, Gregg in front of me went and put his hands over her buttocks and then turned to me and went core and then was laughing as if this was a great joke.” When asked by presenter Ayesha Hazarika to confirm that Wallace’s hands were on the young woman’s bum, Emma continued: “I think I, now the angle that I was at, I cannot say for 100% but she did instantly react, so I do believe that he touched her. Yes.

“I, it was like a combination of things. It’s like, I think initially I was just agog that he felt comfortable enough to do that to a woman in front of another woman. But I think, and I am going to make this distinction, I don’t think he did it as an act of sexual aggression. I think he did it because he thought it was funny.” She went on to tell Times Radio: “And I can only speak about, you know, my experience with Gregg and although I saw quite a lot of inappropriate behaviour, I never sort of felt, okay, you’re a sexual predator. I never thought he was evil. But what I did think, but what I did think was that he just doesn’t understand that some behaviour is completely inappropriate. And I said to him at the time, you can’t do that stuff, Gregg. And it sort of went in one ear and out the other, I think.”

Gregg recently hit out at ‘middle-class women of a certain age’ complaining about him ( 
Image:
Daily Mirror)
Ayesha praised Emma for acting on the spot but when asked about Gregg’s reaction, Kennedy replied: “Well, as I say, I think it just went in one ear and out the other. I think his core problem is that he just doesn’t get it.” Emma claims she was “very aware” that the young woman hadn’t reported the incident.

“She had just come in that morning and it was that thing of a young woman who had come on to set and the star of the show had done something inappropriate and in those circumstances, that young woman is never going to say a word.” Emma went on to claim she told an assistant producer, a producer and the head of publicity for MasterChef but has “no idea” of any action that was taken.

The broadcaster claims she had “no formal chat” about her complaint and sensed that “they were well used to it”, adding: “This is Gregg being Gregg.” She later alleged that a member of the team for MasterChef confided in her after another event, asking: “When is the Gregg Wallace problem going to come to light?”

A BBC source said: “While we are not going to comment on individuals or any internal HR processes, particularly when there is an ongoing process in place being run by Banijay who have the direct contractual relationship with Gregg Wallace, it would be wrong to report the BBC has done nothing if or when matters have been raised with us – not least because it is already being widely reported there were interventions in both 2017 and 2018 where action was taken.

“We continue to urge caution about pre-judging any of this, particularly the involvement of BBC staff members and any inference they have not acted appropriately.” A BBC spokesperson said: “We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them. We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.

“Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them. It would be inappropriate for us to comment on anything that could form part of Banijay’s ongoing investigation or otherwise influence it.”

MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK have since confirmed that they have retained law firm Lewis Silkin to oversee the investigation into Wallace’s alleged misconduct. The production company had revealed complaints were made to the BBC by individuals in relation to “historical allegations of misconduct” while working with Wallace. A Banijay UK spokesperson said: “Lewis Silkin is a major City law firm with a highly experienced specialist investigations team which has overseen a broad range of high-profile workplace investigations. Banijay UK has been impressed by the firm’s rigorous, in-depth, and impartial analysis and reporting.”

They said anyone wishing to raise further concerns could contact the investigation team via [email protected]. The spokesperson added: “All information will be handled sensitively, and names of those providing evidence to the team will be kept confidential.” They said earlier in the week that Wallace is “committed to fully co-operating throughout the process”

Gregg stepped away from MasterChef last week after complaints from individuals about historical allegations of misconduct. Former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark is among 13 people who have accused the MasterChef presenter of making inappropriate sexual comments.

The allegations came to light on Thursday after the show’s production company Banijay UK confirmed the complaints made to the BBC are now being investigated. Wallace, who started a greengrocer company in 1989 which grew to a turnover of £7.5 million, is cooperating with the probe.

Wallace’s lawyers say “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.”