Gregg Wallace, a former MasterChef host, announced the passing of his beloved mother as a result of his decision to leave the BBC series due to historical misconduct allegations.
Gregg Wallace, a former MasterChef host, has revealed that his mother passed away earlier this year. The 60-year-old claims that his mother Mary Pettman, 80, was “picking on” him at the height of his scandal when she spoke in a new interview.
“She was always very proud of me. I’m her eldest boy and, of course, I was on the telly. I think it’s terribly sad that in the last days of her life she was reading horrible things about me and witnessing my disgrace,” he says. Gregg stepped back from hosting BBC series MasterChef in November while complaints from 13 women about historical allegations of misconduct were investigated.
Penny Lancaster made grave allegations about being a victim of bullying and harassment by Wallace while participating in Celebrity MasterChef, and this news came after she made these claims.
However, Wallace backtracked, claiming that “a few middle-class women of a certain age” were to blame. Many people, including Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, criticize his remarks.
Wallace says he has experienced suicidal thoughts over recent months since the scandal broke and reflects on his mother’s passing. “Mum was a spiritualist. I was always sceptical but I’m really hoping she was right. I hope she’s up there looking down and sees my recovery,” he adds. In the interview with the Daily Mail, it’s reported that Wallace’s mother was cremated last month.
After Wallace left his position as host of the BBC One cooking show, it was made known in November that the show’s production company, Banijay UK, was looking into past allegations of misconduct. It is entirely false that Wallace engages in sexually harassing behavior, according to Wallace’s attorneys’ previous statements to the BBC.
A number of allegations against Wallace led to the cancellation of the most recent MasterChef: The Professionals series, but two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials, a Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off and a Strictly Festive Extravaganza, were dropped from the BBC’s schedule in December.
Grace Dent, a food critic, will take Wallace’s place on Celebrity MasterChef starting in January. The 51-year-old author and podcaster, who has hosted episodes of MasterChef on a regular basis, will judge alongside John Torode for the upcoming 20th series of the celebrity edition.
Dent described her new role on ITV’s This Morning as “absolutely amazing.” I’m already intoxicated, to be honest. You can feel that warmth when you enter the audience for one of the most wonderful British TV programs.
You can’t ever eat anywhere in your own backyard. Without people saying “I can’t believe she bought that,” you can’t even enter a supermarket. It is therefore lovely. Moving to this position was a dream come true because I now have a lot.
She would offer her opinion on the cooking of the contestants in her previous role on the show without having to bring them home. I’m that person now, after all. She said, “I don’t enjoy doing that because I’m the baddie now.”
“I believe that people want it to be bad so I can write horrible things when I go out for dinner.” I absolutely don’t. Sending people home is horrible, and I want the best for these people.
Source: Mirror
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