Sean Lock’s brutal critique of Gregg Wallace has resurfaced amid news of an investigation into the MasterChef star’s conduct.
The late comedian, who passed away in 2021 at 58, once dismissed the idea of Wallace achieving “national treasure” status, quipping, “I’ve met him—that’s why.”
Appearing on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Lock also joked that the presenter had “no sense of irony or humour.”
The clip has been widely shared online following the announcement that Wallace, 60, is stepping back from MasterChef as production company Banijay investigates historical misconduct allegations.
Wallace, who faces various allegations of making “inappropriate sexual jokes” and complaints about his behaviour, has said the accusations have come from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”.
The 60-year-old faces allegations from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period, as reported by BBC News last Thursday, with many others since sharing their experiences.
Among the complainants was former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark who told BBC News on two occasions Wallace relayed stories and jokes of a “sexualised nature” in front of contestants and crew when she competed on Celebrity MasterChef in 2011.
There are also reports that Wallace allegedly walked around the studio nearly “completely naked,” with notable figures like Kirstie Allsopp and Ulrika Jonsson sharing their own experiences with him.
Wallace’s lawyers have said “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature” in light of the allegations.
On an 2020 episode of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Lock was asked to decide which celebrities deserved “national treasure” status, humorously dismissing stars like Ed Sheeran and Ant McPartlin.
When Wallace’s photo appeared, showing him at a food factory, Lock joked he “came close” because “he wears a hair net even though he’s bald.”
Lock added with characteristic wit: “I like him because he’s got no sense of irony or humor.”
Ultimately, he delivered a brutal verdict on why Wallace couldn’t make the cut: “But I’ve met him.
“No, Gregg. He tried to put his spoon in my pudding,” he quipped.
Addressing the accusations in a post on Instagram on Sunday, Wallace said: “I’ve been doing MasterChef for 20 years, amateur, celebrity and professional MasterChef, and in that time, I have worked with over 4,000 contestants of all different ages, different backgrounds, all walks of life.
“Apparently now, I’m reading in the paper, there’s been 13 complaints in that time.
“In the newspaper, I can see the complaints coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age, just from Celebrity MasterChef. This isn’t right.”
In a second video, Wallace claimed “absolutely none” of the people he had worked with on his shows had made a complaint about him.
He added: “In 20 years, over 20 years of television, can you imagine how many women, female contestants on MasterChef, have made sexual remarks, or sexual innuendo, can you imagine?”
Addressing the claims against Wallace, a BBC spokesperson said: “We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them. We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.
“Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them.”
A Banijay UK spokesperson said: “Whilst these are historical allegations, incidences brought to our attention where these expectations are not met, are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately.”
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