Ainsley Harriott wades into Gregg Wallace scandal with glowing verdict of BBC MasterChef star amid misconduct claims

Ainsley Harriott has seemingly defended Gregg Wallace amid ongoing misconduct allegations, praising his experience working with the former MasterChef host as “absolutely fantastic”.

The TV chef, who appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in September, spoke out at the Television and Radio Industries Club about his positive interactions with Wallace.

His comments come as Wallace faces multiple allegations of inappropriate behaviour, having recently stepped back from his presenting duties on the BBC cooking show.

Harriott insisted the programme’s long-running success was testament to its quality, including Wallace’s contribution to the show.

“If you look at a programme that’s been successful for many, many, many years, there’s a reason why,” Harriott said.

“The whole crew, including Gregg, was fantastic. I had a great experience.”

The 67-year-old chef’s endorsement follows his recent appearance on the show, where he worked directly with Wallace and the production team.

His comments echo similar support from fellow chef Prue Leith, who recently defended Wallace on Times Radio.

The remarks come as Wallace faces scrutiny over his conduct during his nearly two-decade tenure on the popular cooking programme.

Wallace, 60, stepped away from MasterChef after 13 people made allegations of inappropriate behaviour over a 17-year period across five shows from 2005 to 2022.

The allegations include claims he told a junior female colleague he wasn’t wearing boxer shorts under his jeans and pressed his crotch against a woman while filming BBC show Eat Well For Less.

Last week, Wallace apologised for suggesting complaints about his behaviour came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”, adding he would “take some time out”.

His lawyers have strongly denied “he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”, according to BBC News.

When asked about potentially replacing Wallace, Harriott was hesitant, describing it as “a tough gig”.

He explained his position through a generational lens: “Judging food or judging anything is harder. But I’ve got kids – my daughter is 31 and she just turned around and said, ‘it’s not for you, Dad, it’s for our generation.’ And it really is.”

The chef addressed changing social attitudes: “People talk about ‘woke this, woke that.’ No, it’s now. It’s where we live. This is society. We live it, breathe it, live it, love it.”

He added: “Protect it. Respect those people. I was there once, you know, 30 years ago, and it’s their time now.”

Fellow TV chef Andi Oliver has also weighed in on the controversy, suggesting the issue has been exaggerated.

“The thing to do is not be too melodramatic about it. Gregg Wallace is not the only person who’s been given a licence to behave in ways that are inappropriate,” Oliver told the Daily Mail.

She added: “Instead of wanging on about him, we should be making sure that environments are good, productive, safe spaces for people to work in.”

Leith previously defended Wallace on Times Radio, saying he was “insensitive” but shouldn’t be sacked, hoping “due process” would be observed in the investigation.

The BBC has pulled two MasterChef Christmas specials from its December schedule amid the ongoing controversy.

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In a message to staff, BBC director-general Tim Davie and chief content officer Charlotte Moore said the corporation will not “tolerate behaviour that falls below the standards we expect”.

The BBC confirmed it would support production company Banijay UK’s investigation into the allegations against Wallace.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told MPs on Tuesday she was “really clear that we’re seeing too many of these cultures of silence and issues being swept under the rug”.

Filming for the new series of MasterChef is set to begin next year, though insiders have reportedly ruled out Wallace’s return regardless of the investigation’s findings.