Gregg Wallace has been suspended from MasterChef after a number of former colleagues stepped forward to claim he had made inappropriate sexual comments on the show
A friend of Gregg Wallace has defended the star – saying undiagnosed autism could be to blame for his alleged inappropriate work behaviour that has led to him being suspended by the BBC.
The light entertainment world was rocked this week as 13 former colleagues of the TV host stepped forward to accuse him of making repeated inappropriate sexual comments while working on various iterations of MasterChef over a 17 year period. Gregg, 60, has denied any inappropriateness. He has been removed from filming future MasterChef instalments pending an investigation.
Further allegations have since been made about the star – with a number of celebrities now stepping forward to slam Gregg as offensive. But he is being defended by a friend close to him who has suggested his alleged inappropriate behaviour could be due to an undiagnosed condition.
It has been suggested that the host could be lashing out with offensive language due to an undiagnosed autistic condition. However, it has also been stressed there is no suggestion that there is any truth to this claim.
The Daily Mail has published the claims after speaking to a source who is said to be a “friend” of Gregg. The friend told the outlet: “Gregg carries many of the autistic symptoms, the people who know him best have been saying it for years. He’s never formally been tested, due a feeling of responsibility over Sid’s diagnosis, but he really should be as it may explain a lot about his actions.
“Gregg has form for his inability to read the room, saying things that don’t really belong in the moment. He has no filter and in social situations that can become dangerous, especially when it comes to jokes about sex. He has a light filter when it comes to sex which is common in people on the spectrum. In the modern world of TV where you can’t just dismiss some of his actions as banter.”
The Mirror has contacted a spokesperson of Gregg for comment. The defence of the star comes 24 hours after chart superstar Sir Rod Stewart savaged the MasterChef host for “bullying” behaviour. The Maggie May singer claimed his wife, Lady Penny Lancaster, had been reduced to tears by Gregg while she was a contestant on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021. The singer wrote on Instagram: “So Greg Wallace gets fired from Master Chef. Good riddance Wallace…”
He continued: “You humiliated my wife when she was on the show, but you had that bit cut out didn’t you?” And issuing a searing insult, he added: “You’re a tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully. Karma got ya. Sir Rod Stewart.” And taking to social media on Friday, Georgie Shore star Charlotte Crosby also lashed out at Gregg, writing: “He [Gregg] was extremely unpleasant to me when I was on MasterChef.”
Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.
