MasterChef specials dropped as claims against Wallace grow

The BBC has pulled two MasterChef celebrity specials from its Christmas schedule as new allegations emerged against Gregg Wallace.

- Donna Ferguson

Wallace stepped away from presenting the competitive cookery show last week after being accused of "highly inappropriate", sexualised comments and behaviour.

Multiple people who worked with him on different shows over a 17-year period have made allegations against him. The broadcast journalist Kirsty Wark was one of the first women to publicly accuse Wallace, telling a BBC News investigation that he told "sexualised" and inappropriate jokes which made people feel "uncomfortable" during the filming of Celebrity MasterChef in 2011 in which she appeared.

New allegations from three women emerged yesterday. According to the BBC, one said Wallace pressed his crotch against her during filming, another was exposed to "the top part of his penis" in his dressing room and a third said he had touched her bottom at an event.

The first woman worked on the BBC show Eat Well for Less in 2015 and described an incident when she alleged Wallace "touched [her] inappropriately" while they were filming in a supermarket.