GREGG Wallace is suing the BBC over his sacking from MasterChef, The Sun can reveal.
The furious former host lodged his lawsuit at London’s High Court, vowing: “I will not go quietly.”
Gregg Wallace is seeking the release of confidential documents in a bid to clear his name[/caption]
A source says Wallace is preparing to launch a disability claim against the BBC[/caption]
Wallace, 60, is seeking the release of hundreds of pages of secret documents.
He reckons they will clear his name and help him claw back millions in lost earnings after he was booted out for “inappropriate behaviour”.
BBC Director-General Tim Davie told MPs he was determined to rid the Beeb of toxic scandals but admitted: “We may see more things coming out.”
Wallace launching legal action is a “nightmare waiting to happen” for the BBC, sources warned.
His opening salvo, lodged at London’s High Court, could pave the way for the disgraced ex-presenter to launch a multi-million pound disability claim against the BBC.
A source said: “Things could go nuclear. Gregg previously applied to see all the paperwork concerning him but was blocked by the BBC.
“This is why he’s had to go legal. This is the first, major step towards Gregg taking serious action.
‘HR nightmare’
“Gregg’s team believe that once they have the correspondence in front of them their case – and next steps – will become clear.
“For the BBC, it’s an HR nightmare waiting to happen.”
The source said Wallace – sacked in July from the popular cooking show after a probe – is preparing to launch a disability claim.
It is likely any case would focus on his autism, which he was formally diagnosed with in January.
Wallace complained nothing was done to investigate his “neurodiversity” while he was on MasterChef, which he hosted from 2005 up to the current series filmed last year.
Under the 2010 Equalities Act, employers must protect those with disabilities, including autism.
In a statement issued after his dismissal, Wallace said: “My neurodiversity, now formally diagnosed as autism, was suspected and discussed by colleagues across countless seasons of MasterChef.
“Yet nothing was done to investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over 20 years. That failure is now being quietly buried.”
Wallace was fired after a damning report upheld 45 of 83 complaints between 2005 and 2024.
One included unwelcome physical contact and another three of being in a state of undress.
There were also substantiated complaints of inappropriate sexual language and humour.
His co-presenter John Torode, 60, was also fired in the wake of the report, after a complaint that he used an “extremely offensive racist term” was upheld.
The full story of this incredible injustice must be told and it is very much a matter of public interest.
Gregg Wallace
The inquiry, by independent law firm Lewis Silkin, was ordered by MasterChef’s production company Banijay after an investigation by BBC News.
The report said Wallace’s autism diagnosis came during the investigation and “the findings made should be viewed in the context of his neurodiversity”.
Wallace has demanded the report – over 200 pages long – be published in full.
He added: “I will not be cancelled for convenience. The full story of this incredible injustice must be told and it is very much a matter of public interest.”
Wallace — who was on a reported £400,000 a year — is bringing his legal fight against the BBC and BBC Studios Distribution Limited.
It has been submitted as a data protection claim under the Media and Communications list at the High Court.
He is being represented by lawyer Lawrence Power. In an interview with The Sun, Wallace has admitted his TV career is over.
He has since qualified as a personal trainer and charges £50 a week for 20 clients.
Meanwhile, it was announced food critic Grace Dent and Irish chef Anna Haugh will replace Wallace and Torode as MasterChef judges.
Sources said Tom Kerridge was ruled out as his M&S ad commitments clashed with BBC guidelines.
Matt Tebbutt will replace Wallace on MasterChef: The Professionals.
A BBC spokesperson said: “We have not been formally notified of any legal proceedings so at this stage we are unable to comment.”
MORE SCANDAL FEAR
By Noa Hoffman
THE BBC cannot guarantee it will not be hit by more toxic scandals, its Director-General admitted yesterday.
Tim Davie insisted he is “not mucking around” in his bid to clear out sexual harassers and abusers.
Facing MPs, he admitted: “We may see more things coming out, because in some ways I’m asking for it and running towards the problem. That’s what we need to do.”
He warned: “I don’t think you can change culture in six months and suddenly say nothing’s going to occur.”
Pressed on whether fresh scandals were already brewing, Mr Davie replied: “I don’t think it’s right for me to talk about the specifics of what the whistle-blowing team are dealing with.”
And he stressed: “There are consequences. We are not mucking around. If you’re not living the values, it is clear you leave the BBC or there are consequences.”
But he said the BBC does not have a toxic culture.