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Gregg Wallace has been accused of racism, sexual harassment and bullying on MasterChef by Andrew Garfield’s ex Dr Kate Tomas.
Dr Kate, who competed on the BBC show in 2008, said she was ‘traumatised and re-triggered’ when it was revealed yesterday an investigation had been launched into Wallace’s conduct over historical allegations of misconduct.
The 60-year-old has been accused by 13 former co-workers, including former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark, of making inappropriate sexual comments and has stepped away from MasterChef while the complaints are investigated.
On TikTok, philosopher and artist Dr Kate described Wallace as a ‘racist piece of s**t’ after impersonating an Indian accent in front of an Indian co-worker on MasterChef.
In a further allegation, she said he ‘bullied’ her for wearing sindoor, a red dye applied to the hair parting traditionally used by Indian women to signify married status. Dr Kate, who was married to an Indian man at the time, said it was part of her family’s tradition.
Dr Kate also claimed Wallace was a ‘sexual harasser’ while she competed on the long-running BBC show and described him as ‘disgusting and repulsive.’
Dr Kate, who previously dated Andrew, was on MasterChef in 2008 (Picture: Javier Garcia/Shutterstock)
Gregg Wallace has stepped away from MasterChef while complaints are investigated (Picture: BBC/Shine TV)
She said: ‘[MasterChef] invited me back, and I refused to go back because of him, and I complained at the time because it’s me.
‘Nothing was said, nothing was done, but he was disgusting and repulsive, and anybody that knows me will know my deep, deep f***ing hatred for this man.
‘So, anyway, looks like hashtag f***ing MeToo. How many other female contestants on MasterChef remember Greg Wallace?
‘He wasn’t only a sexual harasser, he was a racist piece of s**t. He impersonated an Indian accent to one of the Indian cameramen.
13 people who worked with Wallace have raised complaints about his conduct (Picture: BBC/Shine TV)
Ex-Newsnight star Kirsty was among those who complained about Wallace’s behaviour (Picture: BBC/Shine TV/Des Willie)
‘At the time, I was married to an Indian man and I wore sindoor as it was part of my family’s tradition and I got bullied by him for that.
‘It’s a little traumatising, re-triggering to be reminded of all of that s**t.’
When contacted by Metro, a spokesperson for MasterChef’s producer Banijay said: ‘We can’t comment on individual allegations while the investigation is ongoing.’
A BBC spokesperson also said: ‘We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them. We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated”
Sir Rod accused Wallace of ‘humiliating’ his wife Penny (Picture: Instaqram)
‘Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them.
‘It would be inappropriate for us to comment on anything that could form part of Banijay’s ongoing investigation or otherwise influence it.’
Dr Kate’s comments are the latest of a string of complaints made against Wallace by people who claim they previously worked with him.
He has been accused of mimicking a sex act, walking into the MasterChef studio ‘completely naked except for a sock pulled over his penis’, taking his top off in front of a female co-worker and making lesbian jokes, among other complaints.
Penny competed on Celebrity MasterChef three years ago (Picture: BBC)
Wallace was also called out by Sir Rod Stewart, who accused him of ‘humiliating’ his wife Penny Lancaster on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021, and called him ‘a tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully.’
The TV star’s lawyers say ‘it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature’, BBC News reported.
A statement from Banijay UK on Thursday said Wallace is ‘committed to fully co-operating’ with an external review.
Wallace is best known for co-presenting MasterChef alongside John Torode since 2005, as well as its spin-offs Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals.
He was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2022 for his services to food and charity.
Metro has contacted Wallace’s rep and the BBC for comment.
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