EXCLUSIVE: MasterChef producer Banijay UK hired a full-time welfare specialist to support presenter Gregg Wallace as he faced misconduct allegations.
Two sources tell Deadline that the coach provided bespoke advice to Wallace for seven months after claims emerged last year that he behaved inappropriately on the set of BBC series MasterChef. Banijay declined to comment.
A person close to Wallace said there were concerns that the television star could be a threat to his own safety, praising the duty of care exercised by Banijay. Wallace recently told The Daily Mail that he contemplated suicide as an avalanche of allegations dominated UK headlines.
Banijay was supporting Wallace at the same time it engaged law firm Lewis Silkin to investigate accusations that he behaved inappropriately on the MasterChef set.
Lewis Silkin has completed its work and Banijay is expected to publish an executive summary of the findings on Monday. The BBC is also expected to make a statement.
Although there is no official word on Lewis Silkin’s conclusions, the BBC has severed ties with Wallace, telling the presenter in a letter that he is a threat to the safety of others.
Wallace has acknowledged that he used “inappropriate language” between 2005 and 2018, but argued that more serious allegations — including groping and touching women — had been thrown out by Lewis Silkin.
Wallace has claimed that his behavior can be attributed to his recent autism diagnosis, lambasting MasterChef colleagues for “failing to protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment.”
Wallace has been told by neurodiversity specialists that he is uncertain of social boundaries. The Times of London also reported that he has an exaggerated sensory experience, which has led to an “inability to wear underwear because of his autistic hypersensitivity to labels and tight clothing.”
BBC News has reported on several allegations against Wallace, including a 2012 incident in which he allegedly dropped his trousers in front of a female junior worker while not wearing underwear.
In a letter, the BBC told Wallace it had weighed up a variety of factors in reaching its decision to let him go, including previous warnings and the impact his conduct has had on the “BBC’s reputation.”
The Daily Telegraph reported that, in parallel with the Lewis Silkin review, the BBC also examined Wallace’s conduct on other shows, identifying six incidents of concern dating back to 2005.
The 60-year-old presenter believes he has been the victim of disability discrimination and has engaged Dan Morrison, a partner at Grosvenor Law, to fight his corner. Lawrence Power, a barrister at Whitestone Chambers, is also said to be acting for Wallace.
A BBC spokeswoman said: “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.”
The BBC faces a dilemma over whether to screen Season 21 of MasterChef. The season was filmed last year and Wallace features prominently as a judge up until the finale.
