Yahoo News BBC MasterChef staff were given 'hotline' to call with Gregg Wallace complaints
BBC MasterChef staff were reportedly told there was a HOTLINE they could call with concerns about Gregg Wallace. Staff concerned about the behaviour of Gregg were told to call a whistleblowing hotline THREE YEARS ago after his exit this week.
Production crew were pointed to a freephone number and website to report issues, including harassment and bullying, a source says. The Mirror newspaper reports the source said: “Workers were told about a hotline which had been put in place by the production company to report problems.
“It was never explicitly said it was because of Gregg but people were guided to it when raising concerns about him. That came in three series ago... There’s a sense of relief from some of the staff on MasterChef now Gregg has gone.”
READ MORE: State pensioners to get free £150 handout on TOP of Winter Fuel Payment
READ MORE Urgent 'stay at home' warning issued over nasty bug 'sweeping all age groups'
Wallace has been dropped from an autism charity in the wake of allegations that he made inappropriate comments to colleagues. He was announced as an ambassador to Ambitious about Autism after his son Sid, four, was diagnosed with the condition.
An Ambitious about Autism spokesperson said: “In light of recent allegations, we are no longer working with Gregg Wallace. We have let him know our decision and thanked him for his support of our work over the last two years.”
And a letter outlining allegations of inappropriate behaviour by Gregg Wallace was sent to the BBC two years ago, reports have claimed. The letter, which was seen by the Observer, contained claims from several women including complaints of sexualised comments, but did not prompt any further investigation at the time.
The Guardian reported that it was sent by director and producer Dawn Elrick in 2022, on behalf of other women who contacted her. She said she was told each complainant would have to contact the broadcasters individually. “This is very tricky for freelancers to do without identifying themselves, which makes life extremely tricky in the freelance world,” she told the paper. “Placing the onus on individual employees/freelancers means they failed to see that I was trying to tell them there was a pattern of alleged behaviour.”
A BBC spokesperson told the Observer: “If issues are raised with us we have robust processes in place to deal with them swiftly and appropriately. We will always listen if people want to make us aware of something directly. It would be inappropriate for us to comment on anything that could form part of Banijay’s ongoing investigation or otherwise influence it.”
