Rod Stewart accused a former MasterChef host of humiliating his wife on the show
The rocker lashed out with insults at Gregg Wallace, who recently left his position on the cooking show following allegations of inappropriate conduct
Famous British singer Rod Stewart expressed his anger at Gregg Wallace, the well-known host of MasterChef in the United Kingdom, accusing him of humiliating his wife, Penny Lancaster, during their participation in the celebrity show in 2021.
The controversy arose in the context of recent allegations against Wallace for alleged inappropriate sexual comments at various points in his television career, which led to his temporary withdrawal from the show while an investigation is conducted.
In a post made on November 28 on his Instagram account, Stewart did not hesitate to throw acid qualifiers at the presenter and called him “pot-bellied, bald, rude and bully.”
“So Gregg Wallace is fired from MasterChef. What a pleasure, Wallace…”, wrote the musician.
“You humiliated my wife when she was on the celebrity version of the show, but you cut that part, right?”
What is Gregg Wallace accused of?
The controversy that has tainted Wallace involves several allegations of misconduct of a sexual nature. According to reports from the BBC, a total of 13 people have filed complaints about the presenter’s behavior over the course of his 17-year career on various shows in which he has participated, including MasterChef and his versions of celebrities.
Among the allegations is that Wallace would have made sexualized comments and spoken openly about his intimate life to female staff. Other inappropriate behaviors that would have occurred on set were also listed, such as taking off his shirt in front of a worker and stating that he wanted to make her “a fashion show.” He is also accused of having told a junior colleague that she was not wearing underwear under her jeans.
Journalist and former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark identified herself as a witness to such events and said she saw Wallace make sex jokes during the taping of Celebrity MasterChef in 2011.
“It was completely one-way. But I think people felt uncomfortable and it was something they really didn’t expect to happen,” the journalist commented.
The news hit the media when the BBC sent a letter to Wallace’s representatives, detailing the allegations. The production of MasterChef and its parent company, Banijay UK, responded quickly, announcing an external investigation. In its statement, the production company said that Wallace had committed to fully cooperate with the process.
The production company’s statement also stressed that allegations of misconduct were past, but that any incident that does not meet expectations of behavior will be “thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately.”
The company insisted that the well-being of its staff is a priority and that there is a clear policy regarding the conduct expected of both participants and the team on set.
Wallace, who was a fundamental part of the program since its inception in 2005, recently spoke out on social networks about his departure from the show. In a post on Instagram, the presenter was optimistic with his followers but did not directly address the issue under investigation.
“I would like to thank all the people who have reached out, who have reached out and shown their support. It is very kind of you, thank you very much,” said the communicator.
According to the PA news agency, although Wallace will no longer be part of the cooking reality show until the investigations are concluded, the episodes of MasterChef: The Professionals that the presenter had already recorded will be broadcast normally.
