Gregg Wallace’s justification for his actions on MasterChef was compared to another BBC star in the process, according to Janet Street Porter, who later compared him to another BBC star.
Janet Street Porter has labelled Gregg Wallace’s justification for his conduct on MasterChef as “disastrous”. The 60-year-old TV personality was dismissed from the popular BBC programme following an inquiry that upheld 45 out of 83 accusations levelled against him.
The allegations ranged from inappropriate undress to unwelcome physical contact. Gregg has since expressed regret, but he steadfastly maintains that he is not “a groper, a sex pest, or a flasher.”
Following the launch of the investigation, Gregg disclosed his autism diagnosis. He criticised the showrunners for failing to “investigate my disability” or safeguard him from what he now perceives as a “protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment”.
In a chat with The Sun, he admitted: “I know I struggle to read people. I know people find me weird. Autism is a disability, a registered disability.”
He added that his autism was not caused by the claim that he “never wears pants.” Hypersensitivity is a trait that autism has.
However, Janet Street Porter, 78, took issue with Gregg’s defence during her appearance on Times Radio. She drew parallels between the MasterChef probe and an investigation into allegations made against Russell Brand.
After reviewing eight complaints against the former 6 Music presenter, the BBC issued an apology earlier this year. Two of these complaints were made while he was in charge of the business.
Anyone who was working class at the time was viewed as a little thick, according to former Celebrity MasterChef winner Janet. He lacks any justification, and everything he has done has been disastrous, absolutely disastrous.
She continued to draw parallels with another celebrity, stating: “He’s exactly like Russell Brand, he’s in his own world and they just do not see it. They do not see it. There’s plenty of people like that.”
Following a question regarding their behavior on MasterChef, the BBC split up with both Gregg and his ex-colleague John Torode. A complaint that John had used racist language eight years prior was investigated by the law firm Lewis Silkin, which led to its conclusion.
John, however, refutes the claim and claims to have “no memory of the alleged incident” and “does not believe it occurred.” Speaking in the immediate aftermath of his “sacking,” John said, “I am hearing and reading that I have been “sacked” from MasterChef and that I have no memory of what I’m accused of.
He expressed disappointment with how things were handled, saying, “The inquiry couldn’t even state the year or the date I was supposed to have said something incorrect. I had hoped that I would have some influence when I left a show that I’ve worked on since its relaunch in 2005, but events in the last few days seem to have prevented that.
The BBC has confirmed that the new MasterChef series will continue to air next month despite the controversy surrounding Gregg.
A BBC spokesperson stated: “After careful consideration and consultation with the contestants, we have decided to broadcast the amateur series of MasterChef on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 6 August. MasterChef is an amazing competition which is life-changing for the amateur chefs taking part. The focus of it has always been their skill and their journey.”
Given the circumstances, the broadcaster acknowledged the complexity of the decision, saying, “We appreciate not everyone will agree with it. The series, which was shot last year, does not in any way diminish our opinion of the seriousness of the findings made against both presenters. We have set out the behavior standards that we expect from those working for the BBC or watching BBC programs.
The spokesperson continued, “Despite what we may have already said, we think that broadcasting this series is the best course of action for these cooks.” We want the viewer to be able to choose to watch the series and make them properly known.
Source: Mirror
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