Masterchef star Gregg Wallace breaks silence with cryptic note to fans

Gregg Wallace has shared a cryptic message with fans today - after the under-fire Masterchef star was accused of groping three women last night.

Wallace, 60, has peppered social media with tiny messages since stepping back from the cookery show after detailed allegations about inappropriate behaviour were reported earlier this week.

He has been accused of making inappropriate sexual comments towards 13 women who worked with him across 17 years on various TV programmes.

Since then, he has been accused by Rod Stewart of being a 'bully' towards his wife Penny Lancaster and by Ulrika Jonsson of making jokes about rape, and by other witnesses of wandering naked through the MasterChef studio with a sock covering his penis.

Last night, actress and lawyer Emma Kennedy further accused him of groping a camera assistant during a 2012 photoshoot.

She is one of three people who made allegations of groping last night, alongside an anonymous contestant who said he put his hands on her hips and pressed into her from behind, and another who said he squeezed her backside in a pub. 

In the days since the accusations emerged, Wallace has made a number of posts on social media - some of which allude to current events, and others that don't.

On Thursday night, he posted a short video in which he thanked fans for their 'support', and yesterday shared a video of Bloomsburys, a 'cafe and wellness hub' describing itself as a 'retreat' hub, set to Pink Floyd's Bike.

He also shared a newspaper column written by William Sitwell, the Daily Telegraph's restaurant critic, which described him as having 'a mouth like (controversial comedian) Bernard Manning – but he's a top bloke'.

And earlier this morning, Wallace posted his most cryptic post yet, depicting a gingerbread man in whipped cream, at the top of a glass. It was simply captioned: 'Enjoy your weekend.'

What are the allegations against Gregg Wallace? 

Gregg Wallace is alleged to have made inappropriate sexual comments towards 13 women who worked with him on a variety of television programmes in a 17-year period.

BBC News contacted the star's representatives on Tuesday outlining the full range of allegations.

Gregg is alleged to have told 'sexualised' stories and jokes while on the MasterChef set, and openly spoken about his sex life in front of colleagues.

He is also alleged to have taken his top off in front of a female colleague saying he wanted to 'give her a fashion show', and to have told another junior worker he wasn't wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans.

Further to this, BBC News reported claims Gregg:

• Showed topless photos of himself to a MasterChef worker and asked for massages
• Told a female worker on Channel 5's Gregg Wallace's Big Weekends he was fascinated by the fact she dated women and spoke about sex and spanking
• Showed another worker on the 5 show photos of a woman in her underwear 
• Stared at a female colleague's chest at the BBC Good Food Show in 2010
• Openly spoke about his sex life, including how often he was having sex and his ability as a lover, on the show Impossible Celebrities
• Allegedly told an Eat Well for Less colleague: 'You can come to my car but can you handle the fact everyone will think you got off with a celebrity?' 

After receiving the letter, Gregg said he would step back from presenting MasterChef while Banijay UK said the presenter was co-operating with its own internal investigation.

He has since been accused of making racist remarks and groping women. Wallace has insisted it is is entirely false he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.

A total of 13 people, including Kirsty Wark, complained about Wallace's conduct while working with him over a 17-year period across five shows, from 2005 to 2022, the BBC revealed.

The presenter was 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, including telling one female colleague he wasn't wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans.

The BBC presenter also allegedly made 'racist' remarks about an Asian MasterChef contestant on the show.

According to a former staff member who worked on the production, Wallace would make the inappropriate remarks just after the contestant walked off the set, which included 'kung fu noises'.

Wallace also allegedly said 'me so horny' - as said in the film Full Metal Jacket and sampled in the 1989 2 Live Crew song of the same name. 

Last night, three women told The Sun of claims of groping by Wallace - either first-hand, or witnessed.

One former contestant, who wished to remain anonymous, said Wallace groped her as she was cooking on set - and 'had her card marked' for not seeing it as banter.

She said he was 'an absolute b******' towards her after she then scalded her hand on a hot tap, calling her a 'stupid cow'. She did not report it, claiming she 'did not see the point' in doing so.

Another woman who met Wallace at the Ideal Home Show in London claimed he squeezed her backside at a pub and said he couldn't look her in the eyes because he was aroused. The next day, he allegedly pretended the incident hadn't happened.

Again, the woman did not make a complaint, because she said she feared repercussions.

Comedian and actress Emma Kennedy also said she witnessed Wallace groping a camera assistant - adding that MasterChef's publicity team had been aware of his behaviour.

'They knew then. They knew before then and they've known since,' Kennedy said. 

It was previously reported by the Times back in May last year that he had also allegedly offended female staff members at the Nestlé UK factory in York with comments about their weight during a 'friendly' conversation.

And in another instance of inappropriate behaviour, a shocking video re-emerged of Wallace approaching 2013 MasterChef contestant Katy Brand in the kitchen and remarking he would 'munch the living daylights out of her little tart'.

'I took it as an innuendo-laden remark at the time, and I still see it that way now,' Brand said after the video resurfaced.

The grocer turned broadcaster has insisted that it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.

But singer Rod Stewart labelled him an 'ill-mannered bully' who 'humiliated' his wife Penny Lancaster when she appeared on Celebrity Masterchef in 2021. 

MailOnline revealed on Friday afternoon that some of Wallace's friends blamed his conduct on a secret autism condition.

A close therapist friend of Wallace, who did not want to be named, claims the MasterChef judge has never been tested for autism.

They say this is because he feels he may have passed down the neurological and developmental disorder to his four-year son Sid, who is severely autistic and non-verbal.

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And they believe the condition may have contributed to his alleged inappropriateness on set, which has seen him step down from his role on the BBC1 series after 17 years, following an external investigation.

The friend said: 'Gregg carries many of the autistic symptoms, the people who know him best have been saying it for years.

'He's never formally been tested, due a feeling of responsibility over Sid's diagnosis, but he really should be as it may explain a lot about his actions.

'Gregg has form for his inability to read the room, saying things that don't really belong in the moment. He has no filter and in social situations that can become dangerous, especially when it comes to jokes about sex.

'He has a light filter when it comes to sex which is common in people on the spectrum. In the modern world of TV where you can't just dismiss some of his actions as banter. 

Wallace's mother, Mary Pettman, spoke about her son's welfare after the allegations broke.

She told MailOnline: 'He's fine. I speak to my son quite regularly and he is fine.'

On the probe, she added: 'I have no idea what it's about. You will have to speak to him.'

The MasterChef claims come after previous reports Wallace made sexual comments while filming Impossible Celebrities in 2018, and that he quit Inside the Factory after making comments about female workers' weight.

He previously said he stepped back from the show to spend more time with his son Sid. 

Wallace, who is married to Anne-Marie Sterpini, a woman 21 years his junior, is cooperating with an external investigation conducted by MasterChef production company Banijay UK.

'Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company Banijay UK, we feel that it is appropriate to conduct an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate,' Banijay UK said.

'While this review is underway, Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef and is committed to fully cooperating throughout the process.'

MailOnline has contacted Wallace's representatives for comment.