Gregg Wallace touches his crotch during Strictly rehearsals

Gregg Wallace left Strictly partner Aliona Vilani 'distressed'  during show rehearsals as he touched his crotch after ripping his trousers and declared he 'never wears underwear'. 

The 60-year-old, who appeared in the competition in 2014, has stepped away from hosting MasterChef after 13 people accused him of 'wrong' and inappropriate 'sexualised' behaviour during filming, prompting an investigation by production company Banijay UK. 

Now in a resurfaced clip from his Strictly stint Gregg, then 50, left Aliona, 30, visibly uncomfortable following his wardrobe malfunction. 

After tearing his trousers he confessed, giggling: 'I don't wear underwear' while gesturing to his crotch, leaving his stunned partner to asked: 'Are you for real?'. 

Beaming he explained, while shaking his hips : 'It's easy to move with [no underwear] I've never worn underwear. I wear socks'

Aliona then told the camera:  'I'm just way too distressed about the situation' before begging him to 'put it away' as he seemingly teased her, with viewers only seeing the grocer from the waist up.

He then went on: 'I haven't worn a pair of pants since I was about 17 years old.'

It comes after Penny Lancaster said she was prepared to go to 'authorities' to discuss what she had experienced on MasterChef with Gregg.

Gregg is yet to comment after stepping back from the cookery show yesterday - but did break his silence on social media to thank fans for their 'support'. 

Banijay said the TV personality is co-operating with the investigation, while his lawyers maintain that it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour that is sexually harassing in nature. 

Fans will remember Penny, 53, leaving Celebrity MasterChef in tears in 2021, after he told her off with the 'serious' delay of her food and then refused to eat what she served. 

A spokesperson for Penny Lancaster told MailOnline: 'While Penny is happy to talk to the appropriate authorities should they feel she has anything useful to add, she will not be discussing the matter with any broadcaster or newspaper at this time.'   

Penny's husband Rod Stewart accused Gregg of ‘humiliating’ Penny and then having the footage ‘cut’ from the show on Instagram on Thursday, although the production company is yet to comment on the incident. 

The moment when Gregg refused to eat Penny's tartar sauce - blasting her for using 'whole eggs instead of egg yolks' - re-emerged after her husband Rod branded him a 'tubby bully'.

Gregg also chastised Penny - who is a volunteer special police constable - for being late serving her food to critics in the quarter finals, leaving her in tears.

Following the announcement of the broadcaster stepping down from the BBC show, Sir Rod wrote: 'Good riddance Wallace... You humiliated my wife when she was on the show, but you had that bit cut out didn't you? You're a tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully. Karma got ya'. 

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.

The BBC has revealed 13 people, including Kirsty Wark, have complained about his conduct while working with him over a 17-year period across five shows, from 2005 to 2022. 

Kirsty alleges Gregg told stories and jokes of a 'sexualised nature' in front of contestants and crew while filming Celebrity MasterChef in 2011 on two occasions and added his gags and comments were 'really, really in the wrong place'. 

'There were two occasions in particular where he used sexualised language in front of a number of people and it wasn't as if anyone engaged with this. It was completely one-way traffic. But I think people were uncomfortable and something that I really did not expect to happen', she said. 

The BBC and MasterChef's production company, Banijay, declined to comment. 

Meanwhile Charlotte Crosby branded Gregg 'extremely unpleasant' on Instagram as she joined celebrities slamming the BBC star.

She wrote: 'He [Gregg] was extremely unpleasant to me when I was on MasterChef'. 

Actress Katy Brand has also broken her silence about the 'awkward' moment Gregg told her he would 'munch the living daylights out of her little tart' on Celebrity MasterChef. 

A shocking video from the 2013 series of the programme shows Wallace making the apparent innuendo about the comedian's egg tart. 

The grocer turned broadcaster tells Brand: 'I find this quite pleasant. Left to my own devices, I'd probably munch the living daylights out of your little tart.' 

Reacting to the resurfaced video of Wallace's tart comment, Brand called the encounter 'awkward' and recalled her immediate 'shock and disbelief' at the 'crass and idiotic joke'. 

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

'My reaction on camera was one of shock and disbelief at such a crass and idiotic joke, and so I laughed and said ''excuse me?'' to which he reacted with a deadpan expression and a remark about my laughter.' 

Brand added: 'The video online is a pretty accurate representation of my recollection of what actually happened. It was awkward. 

'For the sake of clarity, I am not one of those who has made an official complaint. I applaud those who have, especially those who work off-camera and who often find they do not have the opportunity or the support to react in the moment. 

'I hope they find it now. That's all I have to say. Thanks.' 

One MasterChef production worker who claimed today Gregg would joke about threesomes with prostitutes and how he 'loves spanking'. There were also 'disgusting sex-related' gags, including one too rude to publish about an 'aunt' while tasting a contestant's dish. 

Greg James dropped Wallace from his usual opening gambit as he kicked off his BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show on Friday morning.

The radio host typically opens the programme with a sound bite of Gregg saying: 'Fire 'em up, let's go!'

But has now  instead played a clip of Daniel Craig from US late night show Saturday Night Live, as the Bond star says: 'Ladies and gentlemen: the weekend.' The BBC declined to comment on the Radio 1 broadcast.

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Charlotte Crosby brands Gregg Wallace 'extremely unpleasant' following her stint on MasterChef which saw her break down in tears - as she joins celebrities slamming star - after host stepped down amid misconduct probe

Charlotte previously revealed she was reduced to tears while on the BBC show and that 'she was wrong to be so confident' going on the programme. 

Banijay has not revealed the nature of the allegations, but last month it was claimed the grocer turned TV star had boasted about his sex life to a younger female BBC employee and took his top off in front of her.

In a statement to the PA news agency Banijay UK said: 'This week the BBC received complaints from individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct while working with presenter Gregg Wallace on one of our shows.

'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.

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

'Banijay UK's duty of care to staff is always a priority and our expectations regarding behaviour are made clear to both cast and crew on all productions, with multiple ways of raising concerns, including anonymously, clearly promoted on set.

'Whilst these are historical allegations, incidences brought to our attention where these expectations are not met, are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately.'

The statement added: 'If anyone would like to talk to us or raise any issues or concerns, then they can contact speakup@banijayuk.com in confidence.'

The BBC has said it takes any issues that are raised with it 'seriously'.

A BBC spokesperson said: 'We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.

'We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.

'Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them.'