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LONDON – The BBC is facing increasing criticism after a host of its popular cooking show faced angry backlash for dismissing allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
Gregg Wallace, longtime co-host of the cooking competition “Masterchef,” is facing allegations from multiple women that he made inappropriate sexual comments and behaved inappropriately on set over 17 years.
Wallace, 60, said last week he was leaving the show while an investigation into his alleged behavior was launched.
But his case gained further attention on Sunday when he said in a social media post that the complaints came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age.”
He added that he had worked with thousands of “Masterchef” contestants for 20 years “from all different ages, all different backgrounds, all walks of life” and “there have been 13 complaints in that time.”
His comments angered some women who had filed complaints against him.
“This illustrates how he simply has no insight or understanding of how he behaves. He just doesn’t get it,” said TV host Aggie MacKenzie, who competed on “Celebrity Masterchef” in 2011.
MacKenzie told ITV that Wallace made “endless dirty jokes” and claimed that “he has been allowed to carry on in his own sweet way for many, many years.”
Among the complaints are allegations that Wallace undressed in front of women who worked on his shows, made comments about his sex life or made women uncomfortable with sexualized jokes during filming.
The BBC reported that 13 people who worked with Wallace on a series of shows over the past 17 years have complained about inappropriate sexual comments from him.
The broadcaster is facing questions about its handling of allegations of sexual misconduct and how Wallace has continued to present some of his most popular programs for so long despite the complaints.
The BBC reported that Wallace was warned by his employers after a complaint was made about him in 2018, and an internal investigation at the time found his behavior was “unacceptable and unprofessional.”
Wallace’s lawyers have denied that he “engaged in conduct of a sexually harassing nature.”
The BBC, which has said it has “robust processes” in place to deal with the issues, declined to comment on Wallace’s case due to the ongoing investigation into him by the “Masterchef” production company.
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