Gregg Wallace isn’t capable of changing – I watched MasterChef star left in tears over ‘rape’ joke, Ulrika Jonsson says
GREGG Wallace won’t change his behaviour – he left a MasterChef star in tears over a “rape joke”, Ulrika Jonsson says.
Sun writer Ulrika previously accused presenter Wallace, 60, of making a rape “joke” on the set of Celebrity MasterChef in 2017.
She has now slammed the TV host for a video labelling his alleged misconduct accusers as “middle-class women of a certain age”.
Wallace has now apologised over his bizarre rant and said he’ll “take time out” during a probe into his alleged sexual comments on the show.
Ulrika was on the same series of MasterChef as complainant Aasmah Mir in 2017 – who reported at the time Wallace made an inappropriate comment.
Aasmah Mir posted: “I put my first dish down in front of the judges and the cameras paused to reset. In front of everyone, Gregg Wallace told me to tell a colleague at the BBC ‘that she was a sexy b****’. “No one said anything. And yes I did complain.”
Now Ulrika has spoken out about her own experience on the same series.
Talking to Times Radio this morning, the Sun writer recalled the moment she was “absolutely horrified” after learning Wallace “had said this rape joke while judging another contestants thing”.
“She was in welling up, tearing up. And there was a, you know, commotion for a while. And then the producers obviously went to speak to him,” she added.
“So everybody knows, and I think that’s the guilty thing.”
The former MasterChef contestant blasted the BBC and claimed they “just wrote it off”.
“I don’t think that is acceptable. It’s just not,” she added.
Ulrika also said she was “flabbergasted..shocked and appalled” by Wallaces Instagram story defending himself.
“I never understand this with people in a position of power. And he is in a position of power. He’s a celebrity, and he’s a presenter,” she said.
But the writer said he “refuses to let go” and reflect on his alleged behaviours.
“I don’t think he’s capable of changing, because I think that’s the way he is,” she continued.
Ulrika, who pointed out Wallace is only three years her senior, also blasted his “age or generation” is not an excuse.
And, yesterday the Sun writer branded him “ignorant and arrogant”.
“I am nothing short of seething. Somewhere in his misogynistic, thoughtless, ancient mind he felt it appropriate to tell the world this,” she said.
“Oh, Gregg. Your ignorance and arrogance knows no bounds. Firstly, you have no clue what ‘class’ of women it is that have made complaints about you.
“What we can ascertain is that they are a shed-load classier than you will ever be.
“Secondly, when you refer to women ‘of a certain age’ that is normally a reference to my generation — Generation X, the older ones, the ones who are supposed to have gone into old age quietly.
“And yet, the irony of this is that we are probably the hardiest bunch out there because we have been brought up on a diet of sexist, misogynistic, crude and sleazy comments and physical contact that was always surplus to requirements by the likes of Wallace, all our working lives.”
Gregg Wallace - MasterChef scandal in Brief
GREGG Wallace has stepped down from his MasterChef hosting role after a probe into alleged inappropriate behaviour. But what's the situation?
Regular MasterChef host Gregg Wallace is currently the subject of a probe after an investigation was launched into his alleged misconduct over a number of years.
Gregg has been accused of making sexual remarks to 13 colleagues including Beeb anchor Kirsty Wark – accusations he denies.
The 60-year-old has now stepped away from the BBC show while historical misconduct allegations against him are investigated.
Yet the former greengrocer spoke out on social media to blast the “women of a certain age” who he claimed were behind the allegations.
The cooking show’s production company, Banijay UK, has said law firm Lewis Silkin would lead the investigation into Wallace’s alleged misconduct.
It comes as it was today reported staff claim the BBC ignores serious complaints to save its own reputation – allowing “monumental f***-ups” like Wallace.
It has emerged that the BBC was warned about Gregg’s sexist behaviour at least five times over seven years.
BBC officials carried out an HR investigation in 2018 and spoke to the star multiple times about inappropriate comments.
Insiders told the Telegraph that the BBC seeks to “manage risk” rather than deal with reported problems, leading to “monumental f***-ups”.
One said: “The priority is always to protect those most important to them.”
At least 13 people have officially complained about Wallace’s conduct while working with him over a 17-year period across five shows, from 2005 to 2022.
The presenter stepped away from MasterChef in light of the allegations.
Wallace has denied any behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.
He has been accused of taking his top off in front of a female worker, saying he wanted to “give her a fashion show”, and talking about his sex life to others.
The presenter also allegedly told one female colleague he was not wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans.
MasterChef production company, Banijay UK, said law firm Lewis Silkin would lead the investigation into Wallace’s alleged misconduct.
The BBC said it would be inappropriate to comment on anything that could form part of Banijay’s investigation.
Wallace’s lawyers say “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.
It emerged Celebrity MasterChef 2012 winner Emma Kennedy said she reported Wallace’s behaviour to a member of the production team but did not know if it was taken any further.
And, Georgia Harding, a MasterChef producer from 2014-15, said she also raised concerns about his behaviour but nothing was done.
Then in 2017, radio broadcaster Aasmah Mir went on the celebrity version and sent an email to Kate Phillips, now head of unscripted TV for the BBC, about Wallace’s inappropriate comments.
The following year, Wallace was reportedly issued with a formal warning by the BBC following an HR probe.
Meanwhile in 2022, director and producer Dawn Elrick said she sent a letter to the corporation with a number of anonymised accounts from people alleging Wallace acted inappropriately.
The Sun on Sunday also told how a Nestlé executive had written to the BBC with concerns about Wallace’s behaviour while filming a 2023 episode of Inside The Factory.
One witness claimed the former green grocer, 60, walked into the studio naked apart from a “sock over his penis” then did a dance.
They also said he mimed a sex act as a worker knelt to clean his trousers.
In light of Wallace’s latest attempt to defend himself, other TV personalities have come forward and called him out.
Fellow TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall blasted “he’s crossed a line”.
Location, Location, Location presenter Kirsty Allsopp also slammed Wallace in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, in which he relived a meeting with the grocer-turned-TV star.
She said: “Within 1hr of meeting Gregg Walllace he told me of a sex act that he & his partner at the time enjoyed ‘every morning’, she’d just left the room, we were filming a pilot.
“Did he get off on how embarrassed I was? It was totally unprofessional, I’m a #MiddleClassWomanOfaCertainAge.”
And, Harry Potter author JK Rowling posted: “If only his colleagues had all been young working-class women, ideally with little job security, none of this would have happened.”
In addition, Talk host Julia Hartley-Brewer added: “Spare a thought for Gregg Wallace’s PR agent waking up this morning,’ with a meme of Chandler from Friends shouting, ‘What did you just do?’”
However, there has been no word from his former co-stars, chef’s Marcus Wareing and John Torode.
While Wallace took to Instagram to thank his fans for their support, John Torode with whom he has co-hosted Masterchef and Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing who worked with Gregg on the spin-off show, have both remained silent.
In response to reports in the Times and Telegraph, 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.”