Rick Stein feels 'a bit sorry' for former Masterchef host Gregg Wallace following slew of misconduct allegations
1 February 2025, 15:14 | Updated: 1 February 2025, 15:27
TV chef Rick Stein has said he feels "a bit sorry" for TV presenter Gregg Wallace after he stepped away from hosting MasterChef following a host of misconduct complaints.
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The 78-year-old said he felt what happened to Wallace, who has stepped back from the hit BBC One cooking show as production company Banijay UK investigates claims of alleged misconduct, was "unfortunate".
Stein added it would "affect me terribly" if he found himself in a similar situation, before clarifying he had not "got any skeletons in a cupboard".
In an interview with The Telegraph, Stein said he knew Wallace, saying he is "just a different personality to me".
He added: "It's sort of unfortunate if you are that sort of person that you can come a bit unstuck.
"I think partly he hadn't really taken on that you can't say certain things now. It's not so much that he was a nasty person.
"I'm lucky that I've got sons who will instantly tell me, 'listen, you can't say this'. And if you don't pick up on that, the fact that things change, well that's not very clever.
"Sometimes you think, 'I can't believe this', and then you think 'well, that's the way it is'. There's no point in getting all stroppy about it.
"I feel a bit sorry for him really. But I don't like sleaziness so I'm not saying that (about all of Wallace's behaviour). But he just didn't realise that the wind had changed."
Wallace's lawyers previously told the BBC "it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature".
The most recent series of MasterChef: The Professionals continued to air last year amid allegations against Wallace, but two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials were pulled from the BBC's schedule in December 2024.
Food critic Grace Dent will judge the forthcoming 20th series of Celebrity MasterChef alongside John Torode.
BBC bosses previously said the corporation will not "tolerate behaviour that falls below the standards we expect" and will continue to champion "a culture that is kind, inclusive and respectful".
A memo sent to staff by the BBC director-general, Tim Davie, and Charlotte Moore, chief content officer, said the corporation would be supporting MasterChef producer Banijay UK in its investigation.
Earlier this month, Banijay UK said in a statement: "It is important to note that MasterChef welfare processes are regularly adapted and strengthened and there are clear protocols to support both crew and contributors.
"These include multiple ways of reporting issues, including anonymously. HR contact details are promoted and contributors are assigned a point of contact on set available to discuss any issues or concerns."
