The report, conducted by law firm Lewis Silkin on behalf of MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK, states that the number of sustained allegations against Wallace make his return to MasterChef ‘untenable’.
Wallace, who has presented and been a judge on MasterChef UK alongside Australian chef John Torode since 2005, is yet to comment on the report’s publication, which happened earlier today (14 July).
However, he released a pre-emptive statement last Wednesday (9 July) claiming he had been cleared of the ‘most serious and sensational’ accusations.
He also hit back at the BBC for reporting, in his words, ‘baseless and sensationalised gossip’ after the broadcaster revealed last week that it had been approached by more than 50 more people with new allegations about the presenter, all of which have been denied by Wallace.
Banijay UK instructed Lewis Silkin to carry out the report in December last year.
Wallace stepped away from his role on MasterChef the month before after allegations of inappropriate behaviour were made to the BBC, including from broadcaster and journalist Kirsty Wark, who said he told ‘sexualised’ jokes during filming of Celebrity MasterChef, on which she was a contestant in 2011.
As the time, Wallace’s lawyers said it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.
Over a seven-month period, the Silkin investigation heard 83 allegations against Wallace from 41 complainants – all relating to his time as a presenter on MasterChef.
The investigation substantiated 45 of the allegations, just over half, via a process of interviews with 78 witnesses and analysis of relevant documentation and unedited programme footage.
A summary of headline findings reveals the majority of substantiated allegations related to inappropriate sexual language and humour.
A smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also substantiated. One allegation of unwanted physical contact was substantiated.
The majority of the allegations related to behaviour which is said to have occurred between 2005 and 2018.
Only one allegation was substantiated post 2018.
“I’d like to thank Lewis Silkin for a thorough and detailed report which is the culmination of seven months of extensive interviews and analysis,” says Patrick Holland, CEO of Banijay UK.
“It provides much needed clarity on issues spanning almost 20 years.
“Whilst it makes for uncomfortable reading, highlighting failures in legacy reporting and HR procedures, it also provides valuable insight to ensure that going forward everyone working on our productions feels safe and supported, and that inappropriate behaviour is quickly and professionally dealt with.”
In his statement last week, Wallace said he recognised that that some of his humour and language ‘at times was inappropriate’, for which he apologised ‘with reservation’.
However, he added that he was ‘never the caricature now being sold’.
He said: “I was hired by the BBC and MasterChef as the cheeky greengrocer. A real person with warmth, character, rough edges and all.
“For over two decades that authenticity was part of the band. Now in a sanitised world, that same personality is seen as a problem.
“My neurodiversity, now formally diagnosed as autism, was suspected and discussed by colleagues across countless seasons of MasterChef.
“Yet nothing was done to investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over 20 years. That failure is now being quietly buried.”
Holland says he acknowledges Wallace’s autism diagnosis, calling it ‘relevant to certain behaviours identified in the report’, but adds that his return to MasterChef is untenable.
“We are extremely sorry to anyone who has been impacted by this behaviour and felt unable to speak up at the time or that their complaint was not adequately addressed,” he continues.
“MasterChef is a much-loved show which year in, year out, changes the lives and careers of contestants, amateur and professional alike.
“It’s made by a brilliant team of outstanding professionals, and we look forward to bringing more exceptional cooking to screens in the coming months and years.”
Lewis Silkin was also asked to investigate allegations against other people involved with the productions, as well as to examine the process of making a complaint whilst working on the productions and the way complaints made were handled by both the production team and the BBC.
There were 10 standalone allegations about other people in relation to the period from 2012 to 2018/2019, two of which were substantiated.
Details around those complaints have been referred to Banijay UK who are reviewing and will address appropriately.
According to the BBC, a decision has not yet been made about whether an unseen series of MasterChef, which was filmed last year, will be broadcast.