Gregg Wallace, the former MasterChef co-host, has launched legal action against the BBC after his dismissal from the flagship programme, according to High Court filings.
The former presenter, 60, was removed from the cooking show in July after an independent report upheld 45 allegations about his conduct on the cooking show.
The broadcaster told BBC news, which is editorially independent from the corporation, that it had not been “formally notified” of any proceedings and therefore could not comment.
Wallace was removed from the cooking show in July
JEFF SPICER/GETTY IMAGES
The case has been filed at the High Court, but no further details have been made public yet. The Sun reported that Wallace is seeking the release of “secret documents” and claimed that a source expects him to launch a disability claim against his former employer.
Last year, MasterChef’s production company Banijay ordered an inquiry into a string of allegations against Wallace. An independent law firm released the report this summer, which substantiated 45 of 83 allegations made against Wallace, including unwanted physical contact and being in a state of undress on set.
The majority of the claims related to inappropriate sexual language and humour, as well as culturally insensitive or racist remarks.
Before the report’s publication, Wallace accused programme makers of failing to act on their suspicions about his autism diagnosis. “Nothing was done to investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over 20 years,” he said. “That failure is now being quietly buried.”
• Gregg Wallace: I’m not a groper or a flasher
Following the report, Wallace issued a statement saying that “none of the serious allegations against me were upheld”. He added that he challenged the claim of “unwanted touching” but had to accept “a difference in perception”, apologising for any distress caused.
John Torode, his co-host, was also sacked after a separate claim that he used a “severely offensive racist term” was substantiated. Torode has said that he has “no recollection” of the incident.
Despite the findings, the BBC decided to broadcast this year’s series of MasterChef, which had already been filmed with the disgraced presenters. Tim Davie, the BBC’s director-general, defended the decision, saying that they had already faced “significant” consequences.
This week, it was announced that Grace Dent, a journalist and food critic, and Anna Haugh, a chef, would be the new hosts of the cooking show.