Ghostwriter Shannon Kyle has spoken out about her experience with Gregg Wallace and claims he once dropped his towel revealing his naked body and inappropriately touched her
Newsnight: Woman claims Gregg Wallace sexually harassed her
Former MasterChef host stepped down from his role on the BBC cooking show has been hit with further allegations of sexual harassment by his former ghostwriter Shannon Kyle.
The writer who worked on his 2012 memoir Life On A Plate, has claimed in full that the TV star, 60, had once dropped his towel in front of her, made sexual suggestions towards her and also touched her inappropriately. Shannon, who was 35 at the time, made the claims during an interview on BBC Newsnight.
Lawyers acting on behalf of Gregg, who has now stepped down from his role on the BBC cooking show, issued a statement that read: “Our client has denied that he has engaged in any such behaviour, and he specifically denies any sexual misconduct with Ms Kyle.”
Her full account also claims that Gregg shared explicit details of his sex life when they worked on his autobiography during the months of May and August 2012. Now 12 years on, Shannon has alleged that he “inappropriately touched her thigh” when she was sitting in the passenger seat of his sports car. He then reportedly touched her bottom after he made an appearance at the Good Food Show in Birmingham.
This comes after 13 people came forward to make their own allegations of inappropriate experience with the presenter. The production company Banijay UK recently announced an “immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate” and said that Wallace was “committed to fully cooperating throughout the process”.
Shannon alleged: “The first interview we did was pretty straightforward, and then we agreed to meet whenever he was available.” But on the “second or third interview” which she said took place in his restaurant, he “started to talk about his love life.”
She continued: “He was dating lots of different women. And he started telling me about these dates, who the women were, where he met them. And then in very graphic details, what sexual acts they had done together. He talked about spanking a lot. He also talked about one of his girlfriends on all fours in front of a mirror. He talked in incredibly sexual detail, which at the time it was just so shocking because it was completely unnecessary for the book.”
On another occasion, she said she met him at his flat and he answered the door “completely naked, except for a towel around his waist.” She said he had just returned from the gym and had a shower when she arrived. But she asked him to “just go and get dressed?”
She claimed Gregg returned in his towel and said his trousers were folded behind a cushion she was sat next to. She added: “Then I kind of looked up and then he dropped the towel.” When asked by Newsnight if the incident could have been accidental, she replied, “definitely not.”
Shannon continued: “I felt quite vulnerable because I’m on my own in a flat with a man. He’s naked.” Before starting the autobiography, she had signed a non-disclosure agreement which said “the writer understands that Wallace enjoys a high public profile and her obligations to him of loyalty and confidentiality are therefore of particular significance.”
Speaking of her time with him, she then went on to say: “I was worried about losing the job because I’d given up all the work for this job. So I thought to myself… I’m just going to try and navigate this, [I’ll] just try and push on through. It was just really revolting.”
During another meeting, she claimed he made yet another sexually loaded comment to her which included: “If you won’t let me sleep with you, would you lick my [anus]?” And he allegedly went on to say: “What would you think if I put some of the Eton Mess you’re eating on my willy, then?” She described his comments as “sickening” and “obscene.” On another occasion she claimed that he asked her for a “little kiss”, which left her in tears.
But according to the writer, this was not the only time he had made her feel uncomfortable. She alleged that when he picked her up in his sports car he inappropriately touched her thigh and around the knee when changing gear. While at the Good Food Show he then allegedly touched her on her bottom in a hotel car park.
Speaking about the allegations that have now surfaced, she said: “Sometimes you do have to speak up for what’s right.” The BBC has pulled its MasterChef Christmas specials since allegations around his behaviour emerged last week and an investigation into the claims are now underway.
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