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Former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace was reportedly treated for a suspected heart attack days before he was axed

Gregg Wallace, who warned the BBC he “will not go quietly” after their decision to terminate their connection, was recently sacked from MasterChef over misconduct claims. It was announced on Tuesday that the 60-year-old presenter will no longer appear on the channel after his sacking.

The TV star had been accused of making inappropriate sexual comments and jokes over a 13-year period. Fifty people made fresh misconduct claims against the TV presenter, according to BBC News, but he continues to deny all allegations. And now, it has been reported that Gregg was rushed to the hospital and treated for a suspected heart attack days before he was axed.

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Gregg reportedly told a friend he was taken to the hospital in Ashford with a suspected heart attack after two days of chest pains. According to The Sun, he told his friend: “‘The stress of this betrayal brought on my suspected heart attack. It’s been hell.”

The Mirror have reached out to Gregg’s reps for comment.

Meanwhile, the former greengrocer slammed the BBC, saying he has been exonerated of the most serious allegations levelled against him.

In an Instagram statement on Tuesday, he explained: “I have taken the decision to speak out ahead of the publication of the Silkins report – a decision I do not take lightly.

“But after 21 years of loyal service to the BBC, I cannot sit in silence while my reputation is further damaged to protect others. I have now been cleared by the Silkins report of the most serious and sensational accusations made against me.

“The most damaging claims (including allegations from public figures, which have not been upheld) were found to be baseless after a full and forensic six-month investigation.”

In his statement, he accused the organisation of “peddling sensationalised gossip masquerading as properly corroborated stories.” He said: “To be clear, the Silkin’s Report exonerates me of all the serious allegations which made headlines last year and finds me primarily guilty of inappropriate language between 2005 and 2018.

“I recognise that some of my humour and language, at times, was inappropriate. For that, I apologise without reservation. But I was never the caricature now being sold for clicks.”

He said his personality is what sold him to the BBC in the first place, adding that the “authenticity was part of the brand”. He added: “Now, in a sanitised world, that same personality is seen as a problem.”

Gregg claimed his autism diagnosis wasn’t cared for properly, insisting ‘nothing was done to investigate his disability of protect him from a dangerous environment’.

He signed off by telling the BBC he “will no go quietly”, explaining: “I will not be cancelled for convenience…The full story of this incredible injustice must be told and it is very much a matter of public interest.”

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Gregg Wallace issued a lengthy statement yesterday where he claimed he was cleared of the “most serious and sensational accusations made against him”

Gregg Wallace is being supported by his wife after issuing a blistering statement aimed at the BBC yesterday. The MasterChef star was last year accused of making inappropriate and sexual comments during his time on the show.

He issued a statement yesterday, where he said: “I’ve taken the decision to speak out ahead of the publication of the Silkins report – a decision I do not take lightly. But after 21 years of loyal service to the BBC, I cannot sit in silence while my reputation is further damaged to protect others. I have now been cleared by the Silkins report of the most serious and sensational accusations made against me. The most damaging claims (including allegations from public figures which have not been upheld) were found to be baseless after a full and forensic six month investigation.”

He added: “My decision to go public now is also driven by the fact the BBC News division are intending to platform legally unsafe accusations, including claims which have already been investigated and not upheld by the BBC and found not credible by Silkins.

“The BBC is no longer providing balanced and impartial public service journalism. It is peddling baseless and sensationalised gossip masquerading as properly corroborated stories. The BBC is choosing to allow BBC News to run with this uncorroborated tittle tattle in an attempt to ‘get ahead’ of the Silkin’s summary report and derail what has been an extremely thorough process.”

“This feels to me like BBC News is chasing slanderous click-bait rather than delivering impartial journalism. To be clear, the Silkin’s Report exonerates me of all the serious allegations which made headlines last year and finds me primarily guilty of inappropriate language between 2005 and 2018. I recognise that some of my humour and language, at times, was inappropriate. For that, I apologise without reservation. But I was never the caricature now being sold for clicks,” he continued.

He was referring to new misconduct claims from 50 people. Wallace has strongly denied all claims. The new claims are said to have come from people who encountered Wallace on a range of shows and settings. Eleven women have accused him of inappropriate sexual behaviour, while the majority claimed he made inappropriate sexual comments.

Gregg is married to Anne-Marie Sterpini, who is 22 years his junior. They live with their son and Anna’s parents Rina and Massimo. He had previously suggested his wife needed extra help around the house after she became a mother for the first time, citing that he wanted to keep his wife as his “fun, sexy girlfriend” post-motherhood.

He said of their romance: “That young woman has revolutionised my life, there’s a 22-year age gap, we have been together ten years and have a son, Sid, and I want to be there for them.”

Gregg and Anna met online when she asked him if rhubarb really went well with duck. She works in the food industry too like Gregg and is a caterer. Of how they met, he said: “I just looked at Anna’s photo and thought, ‘Wow, she’s pretty’. So yes, rhubarb, which was considered an aphrodisiac in medieval times, brought us together …

“She came down to London to have dinner with me, and she said it wasn’t until we got to the restaurant, that she was comfortable it was really me and not an imposter.” The pair got married in August 2016.

Gregg said he was worried about the age gap but she wasn’t concerned. He explained: “People look at you anyway and I felt really conscious because she was younger, and I didn’t want people to judge her harshly.”

In addition to son Sid, the presenter has two other children, Libby and Tom, with his second wife, former pastry chef Denise. Sid has autism, which Gregg has discussed in the past.

“Sid has autism. He’s three, you can’t legally diagnose it in this country until they are two-and-a-half, but we knew at about a year old that we had some issues. For us he wasn’t answering to his name, he wasn’t playing peek-a-boo,” he said in 2022.

“He was walking and running around but he’s got autism and he’s got something called global development delay. So he’s not speaking. But he is lovely and he is cuddly and he is happy. And if he wants something he grabs your hand and takes you.”

Liam Payne tragically died last year after filming the new Netflix series, Building the Band, a project which he held close to his heart to help emerging singers

Liam Payne bravely masked his hidden struggles while filming Building the Band. The new Netflix series, which airs today showcased the late musician at his best – enjoying music and helping others.

Last year, the world was left heartbroken when Liam tragically died, aged just 31, after falling from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He had been holidaying in Latin America with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, just weeks after he filmed the show in Manchester.

On the show, Liam sits alongside global mega-star and former Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland and his pal Nicole Scherzinger, who created One Direction, the band in which Liam found fame while appearing on The X Factor as a guest judge. Since Liam’s death in October last year, there had been speculation as to whether the show would go ahead.

But it later emerged that his family had given their blessing for it to be aired, as this was the Liam that they and his millions of fans loved. However, away from filming, Liam was secretly battling his own internal demons, but hid this from his fans. In the past, he had been vocal about his battles with addiction and had sought treatment.

And although Liam was clean while filming, he sadly relapsed while in Argentina before his sad death. While in his hotel, the Casa Sur Palermo, Liam was said to have been acting erratically and had to be escorted back to his hotel room shortly before the fatal fall.

It was claimed that the dad-of-one had seen “an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol”. Liam was also seen “acting erratically in the hotel lobby and smashing his laptop” before he “had to be carried back to his room”. After Liam was taken to his hotel room, hotel staff said they heard a loud sound in the hotel courtyard.

Tragically, his body was discovered shortly before 5pm local time. He sustained injuries which were incompatible with life, including a fracture at the base of his skull.

In November, a report from the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office concluded that traces of “alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants” had been detected in Liam’s system. Explaining why suicide had been ruled out, officials revealed that “in the state he was in, he did not know what he was doing and could not understand it”.

It also disclosed that Payne had been three times the US legal driving limit at the time of his death, with concentration levels of 2.7 grams per litre of blood in his system.

A blood alcohol concentration of 2.7 grams per litre (0.27%), can cause serious symptoms, including confusion, disorientation, and feeling dazed, according to Alcohol.org. A blood alcohol content of 0.3% or higher can result in alcohol poisoning, and a level of 0.4% can be fatal.

Before his death, Liam was rushed to hospital when he was celebrating his one-year anniversary with 23-year-old girlfriend Kate Cassidy at the five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel in Lake Como. He was said to be in “agony” with a friend saying that Liam had “struggled” after the disbandment of One Direction.

It later emerged that Liam had been left requiring medical treatment over his kidneys. It had been well documented that Liam has suffered from health issues ever since he was a newborn baby, as he arrived into the world several weeks premature. Doctors discovered he had scarring on one of his kidneys, and he was required to receive sixteen injections into each of his arms twice a day to keep him alive.

His health eventually improved as he grew older and he threw himself into sports to keep healthy. He later explained that his health scare as a baby gave him a clear perspective to live a healthier life. He said previously: “I have to be careful not to drink too much, even water, and I have to keep myself as healthy as possible.”

Liam had kept this from his fans and ensured that they had seen him at his happiest. In the new series, the musician can be seen flashing his signature smile. But his family had been apprehensive about Building the Band airing, with his older sister Ruth saying she was “heartbroken” that Liam wouldn’t see the programme.

Ruth shared on her Instagram Stories: “I didn’t know whether to share this, but it felt odd when I’ve raved about Liam’s work and achievements for the past 15 years. I’m heartbroken he never got the chance to see how brilliant he is in this show. He knew he had done a good job, we all told him this when we were at filming, but watching it back, wow!” She went on to add: “You’re a star Liam, you always were and always will be. There are a range of emotions I felt watching this, but one of the main ones is immeasurable pride, always. Miss you more every day.”

Netflix have ensured that Liam’s legacy will be cemented on the programme and he will remain a firm key feature on the show. A source said: “Even though Liam had filmed a substantial amount of material for the show, the decision was made shortly after his passing to continue the project, honour his legacy and amazing story as a One Direction member and bring this series to audiences.”

The streaming giant said: “Liam Payne’s family reviewed the series and is supportive of his inclusion.”