Gregg Wallace, presenter of MasterChef, was accused of harrassment in a letter emailed to the BBC two years ago, it has been revealed.
The note was posted on a sexual harrasment forum for women in television, on Instagram.
Dawn Elrick, who runs the Instagram account 'Shit Men In TV Have Said To Me', collected a number of anonymous accounts from people who alleged they “have experienced sexism and sexual harassment within the TV industry”.
The letter claims producers had written to the page alleging Wallace held conversations with staff whilst topless, and groped a woman he was meeting in a professional capacity.
The news comes just after it was announced that Mr Wallace was set to step away from MasterChef while allegations of historical misconduct are investigated.
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As reported by BBC News, Mr Wallace faces allegations of inappropriate sexual comments from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period.
Mr Wallace has denied the allegations and his lawyers have said that it is "entirely false" that he "engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature".
Earlier this week, UK journalist Enda Brady told The Pat Kenny Show that the allegations brought forward earlier this week were not unprecedented considering the past history of the BBC.
“We do need to remember that unfortunately, this is a huge organisation with track record of shielding people who have engaged in terrible behaviour like Jimmy Savile,” he said.
"Barely scratches the surface"
Mr Brady said he was 'in no way' comparing the behaviour of Mr Wallace to that of Jimmy Saville.
“So, it's not unprecedented allegations against the TV star at the BBC – it barely kind of scratches the surface now, really," he said.
"I think Wallace will be feeling very, very stung that he has been taken away from presenting while they were still paying the salary of Hugh Edwards, when he was actually facing criminal proceedings and ultimately a conviction.
“It's an organisation that reputationally has taken a battering over the last decade and a half.”
Hugh Wallace was a staff member of the BBC, whereas Gregg Wallace is an independent contractor, and as such the two would have different employment contracts.
Mr Wallace was given a six-month suspended sentence for accessing indecent images of children as young as seven.
MasterChef judges John Torode (left) and Gregg Wallace (centre) with guest Sir Terry Wogan. Image: PA Images / Alamy. 13 November 2009According to Mr Brady, there had been previous reports made against Gregg Wallace.
“There are reports that management had stepped in previously and warned him about his behaviour,” he said.
“Whatever the warnings were, I think the culture of the filming and the culture of the workplace is what we need to focus on here.
“The culture in a TV production facility, the studio, you know – a lot of young people are working on freelance contracts, short term.
“The fear is that if you put your head above the parapet and say, ‘Oh, the big star said something unpleasant to me,’ well, which way is it going to go – the guy who's on a massive contract, or a freelancer earning maybe €200 a day?”
Mr Brady said that Gregg Wallace should "come out fighting" if he wants a shot at saving his career.
Additional reporting by Aoife Daly.
Main image: Gregg Wallace after being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire Image: PA Images / Alamy. Tuesday February 28, 2023.
