Trending – BBC faces backlash over Gregg Wallace scandal
The BBC is under pressure to pull MasterChef off the air following the accusations against presenter Gregg Wallace. The BBC has so far rejected the calls.
Wallace found himself facing further backlash after he said the women who had made allegations against him were just “middle-class women of a certain age.”
At least 13 women have accused him of inappropriate behaviour. Amongst the 13 is former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark.
Wallace’s lawyers say it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.
Basic facts
- BBC under pressure to pull MasterChef off the air
- MPs call for a cultural change at the BBC
- Wallace apologised for saying the complaints were from ‘middle-class women of a certain age.’
- He has been accused of inappropriate sexual comments towards at least 13 people
- Former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark is among those 13 people
- Wallace has denied he engaged in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature
The reaction
There is a political angle to the story, mostly for the right-leaning media, who use the latest scandal for the BBC to call for a ‘cultural change.’ The right-leaning press often views the BBC as ‘liberal’ and ‘lefty.’ The papers pick up on MPs calls for the show MasterChef to be taken off air.
The story isn’t as popular in the left-leaning newspapers – with coverage slowly dropping off the front pages, and the websites.