'No free pass': charities say Wallace's claims are harmful for autistic people

The UK's leading autism charity has said it is important not to generalise about the condition in the wake of comments made by Gregg Wallace in which he appeared to link allegations of misconduct made against him to his own diagnosis.

- Jamie Grierson

The TV presenter was sacked from MasterChef this week after an inquiry into his alleged inappropriate behaviour by the show's production company, Banijay.

New claims have emerged about the TV presenter from 50 or more people, with the majority telling the BBC that Wallace had made inappropriate sexual comments. Eleven women accused him of inappropriate sexual behaviour, such as groping and touching.

In a statement, the 60-year-old presenter said he had recently been diagnosed with autism but TV bosses had failed to "investigate my disability" or "protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment".

The former greengrocer posted a statement on his Instagram page on Tuesday, claiming that he had been cleared of the "most serious and sensational accusations" against him.

A spokesperson for the National Autistic Society said: "Every autistic person is different, just like every non-autistic person is different, so it is important not to generalise or make judgments based on the actions, words or behaviour of any one individual."