The BBC is facing fresh questions over its handling of allegations against Gregg Wallace, after emails emerged showing it was warned about him in 2017.
According to the Sunday Times, the broadcaster Aasmah Mir complained about inappropriate comments Wallace had allegedly made during filming of Celebrity MasterChef.
But this week, a BBC News investigation revealed a string of allegations of inappropriate sexual comments and inappropriate behaviour against the presenter, some of which relate to events after Mir’s complaint.
Wallace’s lawyers have strongly denied he engages in sexually harassing behaviour, while the BBC said it will “always listen if people want to make us aware of something directly”.
Mir has said that she complained to the BBC about Gregg Wallace’s remarks on the set of the cooking show.
In an internal email, BBC executive Kate Phillips, who now heads up unscripted programmes for the corporation, said that his behaviour on set was “unacceptable and cannot continue”.
She added that she would make sure that she was “informed straight away” should further allegations be made against him.
Mir later sent an email that was copied to Phillips, saying: “This must not happen again to another woman.”
Separately, the Observer says a letter containing multiple claims of inappropriate behaviour by Gregg Wallace was sent to the BBC in 2022, but did not result in further investigation at the time.
On Thursday, MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK said Wallace would step away from presenting the show while allegations of historical misconduct were investigated.
The 60-year-old is “committed to fully co-operating throughout the process”, Banijay added.
It came after BBC News sent a letter to Wallace’s representatives, setting out allegations we have heard from 13 people, across a 17-year period.
One of them was the broadcaster Kirsty Wark, a Celebrity MasterChef contestant in 2011, who said he told “sexualised” jokes during filming.
Since then, more people have come forward with allegations about the presenter.
On Saturday evening, Wallace said in an Instagram post: “We are all different.”
His lawyers have said it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.
The BBC said it has “robust processes” in place to deal with issues if they are raised.
Earlier on Saturday, MasterChef producers announced they have appointed a “rigorous” law firm to lead an investigation into Wallace’s alleged misconduct.
On the appointment of London law firm Lewis Silkin, a Banijay UK spokesperson said it was a “highly experienced specialist investigations team which has overseen a broad range of high-profile workplace investigations”.
