Union finds BBC approach ‘deeply troubling’

The Bectu media and entertainment section of the Prospect specialists’ union has commented on the way the BBC has handled allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour against MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace.

Wallace stepped aside as a MasterChef host after a BBC News investigation revealed allegations of inappropriate sexual comments and behaviour from 13 women over a period of 17 years.

Wallace’s response that the accusations came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age” sparked a furious backlash and he later apologised for any offence caused. The complaints are being investigated by MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK.

Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said reports that the BBC had previously investigated complaints about Wallace, concluding that aspects of his behaviour were unacceptable, were “deeply troubling”.

She warned that it was “abundantly clear” that freelancers have little confidence that complaints are taken seriously, properly investigated and appropriate action taken against perpetrators. She said: “Misogyny, intimidation, ageism and sexual harassment should have no place in modern workplaces.

“Yet time and again we see that these issues continue to run rampant in the creative industries — propped up by inadequate reporting mechanisms, a lack of accountability and an industry that enables extreme power dynamics and ‘untouchable’ talent”.