MELANIE Sykes claimed Gregg Wallace was the reason she ended her TV career as she blasted his “jaw-dropping” behaviour.
The presenter, 54, revealed she turned her back on the industry after her experience with the MasterChef host.
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Gregg Wallace is the reason I left my TV career, Melanie Sykes saidCredit: BBC
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Melanie spoke about her experience in a YouTube videoCredit: YouTube
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The presenter recalled ‘jaw-dropping’ behaviour on setCredit: BBC
Melanie recalled alleged shocking moments which she said unfolded on set when she featured as a contestant in the 2021 series of Celebrity MasterChef.
In her book, the mum-of-two said Wallace greeted her by asking whether models eat, which she said she felt was “unprofessional” and driven by “ignorance and disrespect with an extra helping of arrogance”.
She also said the co-host was “barking orders” and the experience was “an eye-opener”.
The star wrote: “The MasterChef experience continued to be an eye-opener, and some unprofessional behaviour on set was jaw-dropping.”
Melanie further claimed Wallace told her being on the cooking show would boost her career.
She wrote: “I didn’t know what to say, so I smiled and said yes, but I was really thinking, ‘Yes, you have finally helped me decide to end my television career once and for all’.”
Now, in a new YouTube video, Melanie opened up further about her alleged ordeal.
She said: “Every time Gregg came over to the desk, I didn’t really like him being around really. Because it’s all about vibrations and energy.
“I complained afterwards. I said I didn’t want to make a formal complaint because, honestly, I’d spend my whole time in litigation if I did that, and I think that’s one of the reasons why people don’t go for it.”
The presenter also remarked the “saddest thing” was not learning about cooking because of Wallace’s alleged behaviour.
Outrage as BBC bosses keep Gregg Wallace on TV and refuse to pull MasterChef Christmas specials as six more ‘victims’ emerge
Melanie added: “Humiliating people, dragging people through the dirt.
“You know, it’s all mad.”
It comes as fury was sparked after BBC bosses refused to pull MasterChef Christmas specials off the air as six more alleged victims emerge.
The host yesterday apologised for crass comments about “middle class women of a certain age” after mounting backlash.
The Beeb justified airing the semi-final of MasterChef: The Professionals on BBC One because it was “life-changing” for the competitors.
But the move sparked criticism as some said that did not apply to festive specials featuring celebrities.
The BBC has since caved to pressure and pulled both MasterChef Christmas specials.
It comes as a former MasterChef staffer — who worked on the show from 2007 to 2010 — told The Sun she knew of at least six production members who raised concerns about Wallace’s conduct.
They said: “I heard from five female colleagues that they had issues with Gregg, including comments he made which weren’t appropriate for a workplace.
“There was a male staffer too who raised an issue about the language Gregg used when speaking to him.
“Nothing ever seemed to be done to properly address it.
“It was like the worst-kept secret in the TV industry.”
Wallace stepped down from the show last week after multiple complaints emerged.
Sources close to him say he is upset that co-host John Torode, 59, has not publicly backed him amid the investigation.
Wallace has unfollowed Torode and his wife Lisa Faulkner on Instagram in a public show of annoyance.
A source said: “Gregg is convinced he has done nothing wrong — and seeing John keeping quiet has irked him hugely.
“They’ve been colleagues for almost two decades and, while they aren’t the closest of friends, Gregg feels he could say something.”
Wallace faces allegations from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period — with others coming forward since the scandal broke last Thursday.
The host has denied any behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.
His lawyers say “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.
He has been accused of taking his top off in front of a female worker, saying he wanted to “give her a fashion show”, and talking about his sex life to others.
He also allegedly told one female colleague he was not wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans.
MasterChef production company, Banijay UK, said law firm Lewis Silkin would lead the investigation into Wallace’s alleged misconduct.
The BBC said it would not be inappropriate to comment on anything that could form part of Banijay’s investigation.
It emerged this week Celebrity MasterChef 2012 winner Emma Kennedy said she reported Wallace’s behaviour to a member of the production team but did not know if it was taken any further.
Georgia Harding, a MasterChef producer from 2014-15, said she also raised concerns about his behaviour but nothing was done.
Then in 2017, radio broadcaster Aasmah Mir went on the celebrity version and sent an email to Kate Phillips, now head of unscripted TV for the BBC, about Wallace’s inappropriate comments.
And the following year, Wallace was reportedly issued with a formal warning by the BBC following an HR probe.
In 2022, director and producer Dawn Elrick said she sent a letter to the corporation with a number of anonymised accounts from people alleging Wallace acted inappropriately.
Gregg Wallace’s TV chef colleagues blast behaviour
By Summer Raemason
THE MasterCheft host, 60, has been told to “shut up and listen” by fellow stars.
Wallace hit back on Instagram and claimed complaints against him have come from “middle class women of a certain age”.
It comes as at least 13 people have officially complained about Wallace’s conduct while working with him over a 17-year period across five shows, from 2005 to 2022.
The presenter stepped away from MasterChef in light of the allegations.
Wallace has denied any behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Since uploading his bizarre rant on social media, TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall said: “I think the intervention is is not wise. I don’t know Gregg well, I’ve met him a couple of times.
“He’s very likeable. He’s a very professional screen presence.
“I have a very talented chef on Masterchef right at the moment, and she’s doing incredibly well, and I’ve been really enjoying watching her and enjoying Gregg’s presenting.
“I think it’s likely that Gregg has what we might call a bawdy sense of humour. Clearly, that’s offended people.
“I think one of the issues is that down the years people have not felt able to tell him when he might want to rein it in a bit, and clearly he’s crossed some lines.”
He continued: “In terms of how he’s going about defending himself.
“I understand the instinct when you feel you’re backed into a corner, but I don’t think it’s smart to come out talking like that when at the moment he should probably be listening more questions for the BBC.”
Kirstie Allsopp
Location, Location, Location presenter Kirstie Allsopp also slammed Wallace in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, in which he relived a meeting with the grocer-turned-TV star
She said: “Within 1hr of meeting Gregg Walllace he told me of a sex act that he & his partner at the time enjoyed ‘every morning’, she’d just left the room, we were filming a pilot.
“Did he get off on how embarrassed I was? It was totally unprofessional, I’m a #MiddleClassWomanOfaCertainAge.”
She added later on Radio 4 that his video rant about the complainants’ class was “unacceptable”.
Kirstie said: “I absolutely understand about banter. I’m a mother of sons – two stepsons, two sons. But there’s a huge difference between robust chat and the kind of comment Gregg Wallace made to me.”
Ulrika Jonsson
Talking to Times Radio, the Sun writer recalled the moment she was “absolutely horrified” after learning Wallace “had said this rape joke while judging another contestants thing”.
“She was in welling up, tearing up. And there was a, you know, commotion for a while. And then the producers obviously went to speak to him,” she added.
“So everybody knows, and I think that’s the guilty thing.”
The former MasterChef contestant blasted the BBC and claimed they “just wrote it off”.
“I don’t think that is acceptable. It’s just not,” she added
Ulrika also said she was “flabbergasted..shocked and appalled” by Wallaces Instagram story defending himself.
“I never understand this with people in a position of power. And he is in a position of power. He’s a celebrity, and he’s a presenter,” she said.
But the writer said he “refuses to let go” and reflect on his alleged behaviours.
“I don’t think he’s capable of changing, because I think that’s the way he is,” she continued.
JK Rowling
Harry Potter author JK Rowling posted: “If only his colleagues had all been young working-class women, ideally with little job security, none of this would have happened.”
Julia Hartley-Brewer
Talk host Julia Hartley-Brewer added: “Spare a thought for Gregg Wallace’s PR agent waking up this morning,’ with a meme of Chandler from Friends shouting, ‘What did you just do?’”
Aggie MacKenzie
TV presenter Aggie MacKenzie, 69, said yesterday that Wallace’s jokes were “always smutty, they were endless” when she competed on Celebrity MasterChef in 2011.
She added: “It was as if Gregg was some sort of dinosaur who just can’t read the room, and seemed to be allowed to carry on in this way. He has no insight or understanding of how he behaves.”
The Sun on Sunday also told how a Nestlé executive had written to the BBC with concerns about Wallace’s behaviour while filming a 2023 episode of Inside The Factory.
One witness claimed the former green grocer, 60, walked into the studio naked apart from a “sock over his penis” then did a dance.
They also said he mimed a sex act as a worker knelt to clean his trousers.
In response to reports in the Times and Telegraph, a BBC source said: “While we are not going to comment on individuals or any internal HR processes, particularly when there is an ongoing process in place being run by Banijay who have the direct contractual relationship with Gregg Wallace.
“It would be wrong to report the BBC has done nothing if or when matters have been raised with us – not least because it is already being widely reported there were interventions in both 2017 and 2018 where action was taken.
“We continue to urge caution about pre-judging any of this, particularly the involvement of BBC staff members and any inference they have not acted appropriately.”
‘LATEST TEST FOR BBC’
Meanwhile, No 10 has slammed Wallace over his “misogynistic” comments.
Labour MP Rupa Huq — who sits on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee — yesterday led calls for the BBC to pull all the episodes from the schedules.
She said: “There is an argument for pausing while this investigation takes its course, and maybe not airing it. It could be massively triggering for the women involved — in fact, any woman involved in any type of similar incident.”
Former Tory Culture Minister Damian Collins yesterday told The Sun: “It is concerning that this is another example of complaints against a high-profile star not being investigated properly by the BBC. I don’t believe he should appear on the BBC until this has been investigated and a decision of further action taken.”
Ex-Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan added: “It is just the latest test for the whole BBC system. The lack of curiosity and follow-up to complaints made is depressing and unsurprising and clearly wholesale culture change is needed.”
The PM’s official spokesman said yesterday: “The Culture Secretary spoke with the BBC leadership at the end of last week on this matter and wider workplace culture issues to seek assurances there are robust processes in place to deal with complaints. Clearly the comments we have seen from the individual over the weekend were completely inappropriate and misogynistic.
“More broadly the BBC is conducting an independent review into workplace culture which must deliver clear and timely recommendations. It’s essential that staff and the wider public have confidence that the BBC takes these issues seriously.”
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Wallace apologised for slamming ‘middle class women of a certain age’Credit: Enterprise
