I can name five high profile men like Gregg Wallace – so why aren’t they being exposed like MasterChef star?
CELEBRITY hindsight is always 20/20.
Apparently “everyone” knew Gregg Wallace was a bit of wrong ’un — a dinosaur in a Tamagotchi age — and for over ten years not a peep, officially, was uttered.
Season after season, “two Gs” Gregg was not only allowed back on BBC’s MasterChef, but given countless other opportunities both on and off air.
And now Great British Menu host Andi Oliver has given weight to what other stars including Kirsty Wark, Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster have already claimed.
Speaking about the women coming forward, Andi said: “I’m not surprised by it.
“There’s a certain culture that allows it to happen.
“Somebody should have nipped that s**t in the bud a long time ago.
“It’s not like nobody knew it was happening.
“I heard stuff, everyone did. And there are tonnes of others who go around behaving badly.”
She’s right. I recently wrote about my experience on a journalists’ special of MasterChef in which Gregg didn’t do anything outlandishly bad, he was just, well, a bit of a knob.
So why didn’t I write it sooner?
Wrath of cancel culture
Those pesky libel laws for a start and, well, we all have our bad days.
I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be gainfully employed if I was fired every time I was a bit of a knob.
Although, to the best of my knowledge, I’ve never marauded around with a sock on my genitals, or flashed members of staff — as has been alleged of Gregg.
While Gregg persists with his denials, he’s not the first “man of his generation” to have incurred the wrath of cancel culture. And he won’t be the last.
Off the top of my head, I can name about five high-profile men with terrible reps: Swearing, misogyny, extra-curricular shagging.
Yet the multi-millionaires remain on air.
Recently I was also made aware of two famous women, both household names, known to bully staff.
But in part thanks to NDAs, for now they remain untouchable.
Every celebrity has a horror story about another famous co-star or presenter — some have contractual clauses saying they won’t share air time, or dressing rooms with them.
So why aren’t they, like Gregg, being exposed on the front page of newspapers or across social media?
As Andi points out: “Culture will only change if we stop all the fake outrage and actually implement change.
“Thousands of people shouting about Gregg Wallace doesn’t interest me.
“What does is whether we remember this in six months, or will there be more shock and outrage when it happens all over again with the next person whose antics were an open secret.”
So, then, it is up to TV execs, advertisers, the money men (and women) to enact change; no more “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”.
If the talent’s poor reputation precedes them, enquiries, at the very least, must be made.
There is, of course, a massive caveat here.
Sometimes cruel, unfounded rumours spread and the flames of unfair hatred are stoked online. And that’s unfair.
We also don’t want a situation where every risqué, close-to-the-bone bloke is cancelled, where no one dare utter a sentence off-camera lest they be cancelled.
But the days of turning a blind eye are over. Industry eyesight must also be 20/20.
Writing gone wrong
PUPILS’ handwriting is often so poor, examiners are finding it impossible to mark their GCSEs.
With everything now behind a screen, is it any wonder?
So unused to scribing am I that my wrist hurt after writing just four Christmas cards a couple of weeks ago.
Schools need to bring back mandatory handwriting lessons, in addition to the endless tablet ones.
I’m Hammering it up…but Gavin & Stacey DROP ME
THE Gavin & Stacey Christmas Day special attracted the largest TV audience in a decade.
Big sporting occasions aside, the pitch-perfect finale – written by James Corden and Ruth Jones – may well be the last collective national TV moment we ever have.
It was also supposed to be my “big break”.
A week previously, I had excitedly gushed in this newspaper about my day as an extra (or background actor to give me my proper PC title).
False news, it turns out.
Yes, dear reader, I was ruthlessly CULLED from the final edit.
While a stringent NDA prevented me from detailing my scene ahead of transmission, I can now reveal I donned a Smithy-emblazoned West Ham shirt for my (redundant) role at the stag do.
Indeed, so seriously do I take my acting, I was prepared to wear the claret and blue despite being a Spurs fan.
While the show was all the poorer for not showing my left shoulder, really . . . it was utter perfection.
Nort on from James
JAMES NORTON’s description of men “attempting to rebalance the patriarchal crimes of the past” is peak woke.
The Happy Valley star, a James Bond contender, said: “With a lot of men there’s a misconception that what we should be doing is making space, stepping back and almost becoming passive.”
Hmm. Yep, that’s what all the blokes I know are saying . . .
Saur losers
FINALLY someone is threatening to disrupt the country’s two-party system.
Nigel Farage, with the prospective financial backing of Elon Musk, shows no sign of weakening in 2025.
His online bickering with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is little more than a sideshow.
Where the I’m A Celebrity star is really caning it is online, and with tomorrow’s voters.
Having employed a team of Gen Z whizzkids – those who know their Tik from their Tok – he’s successfully managing to engage a whole load of would-be voters.
Something political dinosaurs, Kemi and Keir, can only dream of.
Happy New Year
2024, eh. What a year.
Twelve months of political upheaval, fat jabs, celebrity cancellations, Charli XCX and photo opps showing off comrade Sir Keir’s freebie designer clobber.
Plus a special mention to Woman of the Year, Gisele Pelicot, for courageously, uniquely, standing up for women everywhere.
Who knows quite what 2025 will bring.
But wishing you all a very happy new year – even the bloke who writes in weekly to call me Horse Face.
May it be your best yet.
Count on VAT to fail
LABOUR’S most revolutionary education policy starts tomorrow.
The decision by Rachel from accounts, and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, to slap 20 per cent VAT on private school fees will, I predict, prove to be yet another policy disaster.
The Government’s claims that state schools will be boosted are as ludicrous as they are misguided.
In short, the sums don’t add up.
Thousands of privately educated kids have either left or given notice to leave, meaning they will now become a burden on the state system.
With 470,000 teachers in English state schools, the promise of an extra 6,500 new teachers is just a drop in the ocean – as it equates to around one third of a teacher per school.
Which, no, Rachel Reeves, will not “raise standards.”
This is not a tax on entitled Etonians – it is by and large a tax on aspiration and hard-working and, crucially, very normal parents.
Race to return rubbish
NOTHING says Christmas like returning your gifts at 7.06am.
According to data from Collect+, an in-store parcel service, the first crappy present registered for return on December 25 was logged when most of us were still crawling out of bed.
Crunch times
OUR broadsheet brethren are occasionally accused of being boring, pompous and posh. But no.
Yesterday The Times unveiled its latest hard-hitting campaign – unearthing Britain’s toughest crisp.
Showing admirable levels of investigative flair, science editor Tom Whipple bravely tested dozens of thinly fried potatoes to discover precisely which crisp could withstand the most humous and sour cream.
A vital test, one just in time for New Year’s Eve.
And the winner? Tyrrells, ready salted (ridged).
Cruz’s social strife
YOUNG Cruz Beckham might just have something about him after all.
David and Victoria’s youngest boy, currently mid-promotion of his debut single, joked “Jesus was also a Nepo-baby” when asked by a fan if he had an unfair advantage over his guitar-playing rivals.
Funny, no? No, apparently.
In an age of “I’m offended”, a flunky close to Cruz clearly panicked.
Within minutes his Christmas Day comment had been deleted from Instagram which, I suppose, isn’t all that surprising.
Even miracle maker JC would have had his work cut out navigating social media.