Former MasterChef host Gregg Wallace is suing the BBC and one among its subsidiaries for as much as £10,000 following his axe from the present as he claims he suffered ‘misery and harassment’
The BBC has issued a response to Gregg Wallace’s declare towards them following his axe from MasterChef. Final week, it was reported the TV presenter was claiming as much as £10,000 in damages from the BBC and one among its subsidiaries.
He claimed they allegedly triggered him “misery and harassment” by failing to speak in confidence to him his private knowledge. Wallace is suing the BBC and BBC Studios Distribution Restricted after he was sacked from the hit cooking competitors in July.
Final 12 months, it was introduced that Wallace would step away from his function on the BBC cooking present whereas historic allegations of misconduct had been investigated. Over the summer season, manufacturing firm Banijay UK and the BBC mentioned that they had agreed “Mr Wallace’s return to MasterChef is untenable.”
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In court docket paperwork final week, barrister Lawrence Energy mentioned that Wallace was searching for damages for “misery, harassment and lack of amenity not exceeding £10,000”, damages below the UK Normal Information Safety Regulation, and curiosity. He’s additionally searching for a court docket order that the BBC and BBC Studios adjust to the topic entry requests.
Now, the BBC has responded as they filed a defence at London’s Excessive Court docket. They insisted Wallace was not “entitled to any damages” and mentioned Wallace pursued his declare with out giving them prior discover.
In line with the Solar, the BBC mentioned: “That voluntary disclosure demonstrates the claimant has no foundation to say damages for misery in respect of the withholding of such data.” The publication claimed Wallace is planning to launch a incapacity declare for damages concerning his then-undiagnosed autism.
Wallace started co-presenting MasterChef in 2005, however it was introduced in November 2024 that he would step away from his function whereas the misconduct allegations had been investigated. A assessment by regulation agency Lewis Silkin later upheld 45 of the 83 allegations towards him, together with one among “unwelcome bodily contact”.
The report discovered that the “majority of the allegations towards Wallace (94%) associated to behavior which is claimed to have occurred between 2005 and 2018”, with just one allegation substantiated after that 12 months.
It additionally concluded that the “majority of the substantiated allegations towards Mr Wallace associated to inappropriate sexual language and humour”, including that “a smaller variety of allegations of different inappropriate language and being in a state of undress had been additionally substantiated”.
The report famous that in the course of the course of the investigation, which was over a seven-month interval, Wallace was recognized with autism spectrum dysfunction, and mentioned that the findings must be seen within the context of his neurodiversity.
Wallace issued an apology saying he was “deeply sorry for any misery triggered” and that he “by no means got down to hurt or humiliate”. The previous greengrocer mentioned: “For eight months, my household and I’ve lived below a cloud. Trial by media, fuelled by hearsay and clickbait.
“Not one of the critical allegations towards me had been upheld. I challenged the remaining subject of undesirable touching, however have needed to settle for a distinction in notion, and I’m deeply sorry for any misery triggered. It was by no means meant.”
In July, the BBC mentioned: “Though the complete extent of those points weren’t identified on the related time, alternatives had been missed to deal with this behaviour, each by the manufacturing corporations operating MasterChef and the BBC. We settle for extra may and may have been performed sooner.”
The Mirror has contacted the BBC and Wallace’s representatives for remark.
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