Gregg Wallace’s MasterChef replacement confirmed as I’m a Celeb star Grace Dent after he stepped back amid ‘grope’ probe

THE MasterCheft host, 60, has been told to ";shut up and listen" by fellow stars.

Wallace hit back on Instagram and claimed complaints against him have come from "middle class women of a certain age".

It comes as at least 13 people have officially complained about Wallace’s ­conduct while working with him over a 17-year period across five shows, from 2005 to 2022.

The presenter stepped away from MasterChef in light of the allegations.

Wallace has denied any behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Since uploading his bizarre rant on social media, TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall said: "I think the intervention is is not wise. I don't know Gregg well, I've met him a couple of times.

"He's very likeable. He's a very professional screen presence.

"I have a very talented chef on Masterchef right at the moment, and she's doing incredibly well, and I've been really enjoying watching her and enjoying Gregg's presenting.

"I think it's likely that Gregg has what we might call a bawdy sense of humour. Clearly, that's offended people.

"I think one of the issues is that down the years people have not felt able to tell him when he might want to rein it in a bit, and clearly he's crossed some lines."

He continued: "In terms of how he's going about defending himself.

"I understand the instinct when you feel you're backed into a corner, but I don't think it's smart to come out talking like that when at the moment he should probably be listening more questions for the BBC."

Kirstie Allsopp

Location, Location, Location presenter Kirstie Allsopp also slammed Wallace in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, in which he relived a meeting with the grocer-turned-TV star

She said: "Within 1hr of meeting Gregg Walllace he told me of a sex act that he & his partner at the time enjoyed 'every morning', she’d just left the room, we were filming a pilot.

"Did he get off on how embarrassed I was? It was totally unprofessional, I’m a #MiddleClassWomanOfaCertainAge."

She added later on Radio 4 that his video rant about the complainants’ class was “unacceptable”.

Kirstie said: “I absolutely understand about banter. I’m a mother of sons - two stepsons, two sons. But there’s a huge difference between robust chat and the kind of comment Gregg Wallace made to me.”

Ulrika Jonsson

Talking to Times Radio, the Sun writer recalled the moment she was "absolutely horrified" after learning Wallace "had said this rape joke while judging another contestants thing".

"She was in welling up, tearing up. And there was a, you know, commotion for a while. And then the producers obviously went to speak to him," she added.

"So everybody knows, and I think that's the guilty thing."

The former MasterChef contestant blasted the BBC and claimed they "just wrote it off".

"I don't think that is acceptable. It's just not," she added

Ulrika also said she was "flabbergasted..shocked and appalled" by Wallaces Instagram story defending himself.

"I never understand this with people in a position of power. And he is in a position of power. He's a celebrity, and he's a presenter," she said.

But the writer said he ";refuses to let go" and reflect on his alleged behaviours.

"I don't think he's capable of changing, because I think that's the way he is," she continued.

JK Rowling

Harry Potter author JK Rowling posted: “If only his ­colleagues had all been young working-class women, ideally with little job security, none of this would have happened.”

Julia Hartley-Brewer

Talk host Julia Hartley-Brewer added: “Spare a thought for Gregg Wallace’s PR agent waking up this morning,’ with a meme of Chandler from Friends shouting, ‘What did you just do?’”

Aggie MacKenzie

TV presenter Aggie MacKenzie, 69, said yesterday that Wallace’s jokes were “always smutty, they were endless” when she competed on Celebrity MasterChef in 2011.

She added: “It was as if Gregg was some sort of dinosaur who just can’t read the room, and seemed to be allowed to carry on in this way. He has no insight or understanding of how he behaves.”

By Ellie Henman

MASTERCHEF star Gregg Wallace has told friends he expects to be sacked following an investigation into his alleged sexual harassment and groping.

Several women have come forward about his behaviour, prompting the review.

Wallace has stopped using his pricey legal team as he resigns himself to the MasterChef sack.

The under-fire presenter has also turned down crisis-publicity teams in the weeks after several women complained he groped or harassed them.

The BBC1 show’s production firm Banijay UK launched a probe last month and Wallace, 60, has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

But those close to him said he understood his position on MasterChef was no longer tenable.

A source said: “Gregg’s conceded he has lost everything. To put it bluntly, he’s told people, ‘I’m f***ed’.

“He came out swinging but he has quietly conceded that he knows his time on MasterChef is over and that he will be stepping aside.

“He has contested the sexual ­allegations and insisted any jokes he made were just jokes. He said he never meant to cause any offence.

“Gregg has been under a huge amount of pressure since the allegations came to light and tried his best to fight his corner.

“The BBC and Banijay UK have now spoken to a number of different individuals and they know they must be seen to take action.

“Gregg knows the time will come when he has to step aside and as much as that pains him, it seems he has come to terms with it."

A second source said: “MasterChef is a juggernaut of a show and the wheels don’t stop turning.

“Not long after the probe into Gregg’s conduct, casting started for the celebrity series.

“While the probe is ongoing, it has been made clear to production that John is going to be staying and that a female will step into Gregg’s role.”