MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace has left the BBC Two show Inside the Factory after he was allegedly rude to female members of staff, despite insisting ‘I never meant to cause offence’.
Gregg Wallace was originally reported to have left the show to help look after his son, Sid, who has autism.
However, reports have recently surfaced that Gregg offended female staff working on the show. According to The Times, one source said he was ‘rude towards staff and continued to talk in a derogatory manner, especially to women.’
The same source also said: ‘He was given a talking-to and was appalled that he had caused such offence. He felt that he was just trying to be friendly, but no longer knew what the right thing to say was any more and decided to leave.’
Apparently perturbed by the allegations, the TV presenter responded saying: ‘I use humour to relax people. It’s a tool I’ve used for lots of years. I never, ever set out to upset or offend anybody and I never would. It makes me upset that I might have upset people.’
Speaking to the BBC earlier this year, Gregg explained: ‘As viewers know, to say I find the inside of factories fascinating is an understatement. I’ve never failed to be amazed by the scale of production.
‘For me, filming the show alongside my other TV and family commitments has always been a balance. As my son Sid’s needs become more challenging, I’ve decided the time has come to hang up my hairnet.
'It’s a good time to stop doing it because there’s actually 12 episodes in the can… so I wouldn’t have been filming for a while anyway, so it just seemed like a good idea to stop it.’
Gregg has hosted Inside the Factory for seven years since it launched back in 2015.
In other news, First Dates is moving to a new restaurant and location for the next series.