Gregg Wallace accused of groping three women as MasterChef host faces flood of fresh allegations
GREGG Wallace was tonight accused of groping THREE different women after a flood of new allegations against the MasterChef host.
One former contestant even alleged he groped her while she was cooking on the set of the show as the cameras rolled.
She moved away and said he later shouted “You stupid cow” when she scalded her hand.
The woman, who asked not to be named, said she let Wallace know she was disgusted, but “had her card marked” for not seeing it as banter.
Another woman claims Wallace told her in a busy pub that she aroused him, made more lewd comments and squeezed her bum.
In a third allegation, Celebrity MasterChef contestant Emma Kennedy yesterday claimed she had seen co-host Wallace grope a camera assistant during a photoshoot for the 2012 finalists.
And a former staffer claimed he made offensive Asian remarks on set in 2017.
The Sun first reported Wallace’s behaviour last month.
On Thursday he stepped down while allegations of misconduct are investigated, while singer Sir Rod Stewart accused him of humiliating his wife Penny on the show.
The contestant who claims she was groped in her MasterChef kitchen said: “At the start of filming he came up behind me as I stood at my counter, and looked over my shoulder.
“He put his hands on my hips, moved to the back of me, and pressed into me. I made an ‘Eeew’ sound, and stepped forward.
“It was my instant reaction. But it set his mangy teeth on edge and he moved on without saying anything.
“I wanted him to know you don’t play this game.
“I was thinking I’ve prepared so long for this competition and it’s in his hands whether I go through.
“But at the same time I’m not going to prostitute myself for any cooking show.
“It felt with him like you comply or you’re not going to do very well. I didn’t do very well.
“At that point he decided to be an absolute b****d. Moments later I scalded myself.
“I turned on the tap incorrectly, burning my hands. “I couldn’t help shrieking. It really hurt. He was a few paces away, heard me, and shouted, ‘You stupid f***ing cow’.
“It was awful. He offered no assistance. I wanted to cry. My hands were hurting but it was more the shock of somebody behaving that way. It’s not natural.
“At that time I didn’t know if he was married. But I thought if this man’s got a wife, God help her.”
Wallace allegations
She said Wallace, 60, was also appalling in the way he treated staff.
She said: “He pushed a camerawoman and shouted, ‘Get out of my f****ing face’. It was horrific.”
The contestant told how Wallace made her feel small as filming continued.
She said: “After cooking, when they call you forward, you have to stand on two spots to present your dish.
“I put the dish down and Wallace said ‘Not there’ and pushed it back.
“Then he said, ‘Step back. You’re not in the circle. Me and John (Torode) are’.”
As I went to get us both a drink he squeezed my bum. I looked at him to say ‘Don’t do that’. He was giving me winks and just being quite pervy.
The contestant added: “Wallace’s behaviour towards me obviously wasn’t shown.
“But family and friends watching it on TV said how unhappy I looked.
“I wasn’t bothered about the comments about my food. You take it on the chin. But if I’d giggled like a schoolgirl and pushed back on him when he thrust at me I’m entirely sure things would have been different.
“You can’t go around behaving like that with women. But I didn’t complain. I thought, ‘What’s the point, they won’t do anything’.”
Another woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she was groped after meeting Wallace at the Ideal Home Show in London.
Then 27, it was one of her first jobs at an events planner.
She said they later met again at a pub, adding: “He clocked me as soon as I went in and struck up conversation. It started with him just being inquisitive, and me asking him lots of questions.
“But then he kept saying ‘Your eyes are incredible’ and ‘What would your parents say if you brought someone like me home?’”
The woman said he kept telling her he couldn’t look her in the eyes because he was aroused.
She added: “As I went to get us both a drink he squeezed my bum. I looked at him to say ‘Don’t do that’. He was giving me winks and just being quite pervy.
“Next day his wife Heidi came over and she was really sweet.
“Gregg came up to me, and his whole attitude changed; he was rude, giving unpleasant answers to my questions.
“He said, ‘Do I know you?’, like he was pretending he didn’t know to justify his behaviour. The whole thing was grim and not acceptable.”
The woman did not complain because she feared repercussions.
Wallace’s spokesperson was contacted about the claims.