MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has officially stepped away from his role on the show following recent reports surrounding allegations of misconduct.
A new series of complaints regarding Wallace’s historical behaviour have now been made to the BBC, with the 60-year-old having only just denied claims he made “sexual” comments to a younger female colleague back in 2018 a month ago.
While that particular instance is alleged to have taken place while on the set of Impossible Celebrities, with one woman accusing the household name of removing his shirt and openly boasting about his sex life, this decision comes after a number of other historical incidents were flagged.
It is said that 13 different people – one of those being fellow veteran BBC presenter, Kirsty Wark – have complained about inappropriate sexual comments on various projects across a 17-year period.
MasterChef host Gregg Wallace steps down as allegations of misconduct are investigatedhttps://t.co/PAiZ4D1jU3
Wallace will now leave the popular cooking show after the best of two decades alongside co-presenter John Torrode, having joined the show all the way back in 2005.
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Issuing an official statement following his departure, the show’s production company Banijay UK told PA (Press Association) news agency: “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 [MasterChef] producers or parent company Banijay UK, we feel that it is appropriate to conduct an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate.”
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BBC veteran Wark, 69, told the corporation that he made a number of remarks that were of a “sexualised nature” in front of contestants and crew during a season of Celebrity MasterChef back in 2011, strongly insisting that she fell the comments were “really, really in the wrong place”.
The Peckham-born TV personality has now been “stepped away” from the job while a full investigation is carried out, with Banijay assuring that their “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.”
The company have assured that while the issues weren’t initially raised at the time they were said to have occurred, they are now being taken very seriously, as well as urging others to come forward with any issues or concerns.
Prior to landing the job on MasterChef, ‘Gregg the Veg’ was a greengrocer in Covent Garden before ultimately opening his own restaurant, Wallace and Co, in Putney.
The site was ultimately closed just after the Christmas break back in 2013 after he was forced to sell its parent company, Wallace Cafes.
As for the current investigation, he is said to be “committed to fully cooperating throughout the process.”
Only two arrested after day of ‘peaceful’ protests in Manchester city centre over the weekend
Emily Sergeant
Only two arrests were made following a day of far-right protests and counter demonstrations in Manchester city centre over the weekend.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said the day passed ‘peacefully’, with smaller numbers of people arriving than expected.
‘Significant’ police resources were in place throughout the day (Saturday 31 October) in order to safely facilitate the demonstrations – which saw an estimated 400 protestors and counter protestors gather around the Albert Square area of the city centre.
The police say they ‘attempted’ to work closely with organisers to ensure people could protest safely, all while wider disruption was kept to a minimum.
Increased ‘stop and search’ powers under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 were put in place in the city centre to help keep the public safe, but the vast majority of people both sides caused no issues for officers.
Only two people were arrested, but they were later released without charge.
One man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, and one male counter-protester was arrested on suspicion of robbery following an incident unrelated to the events.
“Our policing operation was designed to balance the right to peaceful protest with the need to keep the city centre safe and moving for everyone else,” commented Assistant Chief Constable, Mark Dexter.
“We also have had to ensure our plans were flexible and resilient so that any ‘flash protests’ in other areas of the city could be dealt with quickly, to minimise disruption and risks to safety in our communities. This plan continues into the remainder of the evening.
“As a result of extensive preparation and the work of officers and partner agencies throughout the day, both groups of demonstrators were able to exercise their rights safely, and we saw no significant disorder.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Full list of Manchester restaurants set to add an extra £1 to bills to tackle homelessness this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
A handful of local restaurants will be adding an extra £1 onto every bill over the festive season to help fight street homelessness.
As November arrives, the temperatures begin to start dropping, and the nights set in a little earlier, people in Greater Manchester are once again able to give back while they dine at some of the best restaurants the region has to offer in the run up to Christmas, as the successful StreetSmart fundraising initiative is back for another year.
This year, 15 fantastic restaurants have come together to support local homeless charities as the campaign launches today (1 November).
Manchester independents such as Proloco, Erst, Ezra & Gill, Stretford Canteen, and Blue Eyed Panda are among those taking part in the campaign this year, alongside several city centre chain restaurants such as Lina Stores, Tampopo, Banyan, Manahatta, and San Carlo.
Now in its 29th year, StreetSmart works by each participating restaurant adding an extra £1 to every bill they deliver throughout November and December, with all of the money raised going directly to local homeless organisations, thanks to StreetSmart’s official sponsorship from LandAid.
Manchester restaurants are adding an extra £1 to bills to help fight homelessness this Christmas / Credit: Supplied | Rifqi Ali Ridho (via Unsplash)
Since launching in 1998, the campaign has raised over £16.2 million to support charities across the UK, providing practical help, from meals and emergency accommodation to healthcare, training, housing advice and routes towards finding a permanent home.
The StreetSmart team says it’s determined to deliver another record-breaking year in 2026, and provide much-needed support to the services that help some of the most vulnerable people in the city.
Manchester restaurants taking part in StreetSmart 2026
Proloco
Hache MCR
Bar Posie
SAMPA
Blue Eyed Panda
Ezra & Gill
Erst
Little Seeds
Lina Stores
Stretford Canteen
Hawksmoor
Manahatta
San Carlo Bottega
Tampopo
Banyan Bar & Kitchen
“The festive period can be an incredibly tough time for the vulnerable people in our community,” explained Glenn Pougnet, who is the Director of StreetSmart.
“StreetSmart provides a simple way for people to help some of our city’s most in need. Giving back whilst dining out at Christmas is what StreetSmart is all about, and we’re thrilled to have so many restaurants already taking part.
Danny Jones -
28th November 2024 
