TV chef Ainsley Harriott has spoken out about his experience working with Gregg Wallace after allegations of misconduct were made against the MasterChef judge. Ainsley, who appeared on the BBC cooking competition in September, has seemingly come out in support of the former judge.
Speaking at the Television and Radio Industries Club, Ainsley said he had a “great experience” with Gregg. He continued: “If you look at a programme that’s been successful for many, many, many years, there’s a reason why. The whole crew, including Gregg, was fantastic. I had a great experience.”
However, asked if he would be interested in replacing Gregg, he admitted it is a “tough gig” – noting that judging on TV is more challenging in the modern era.
But Ainsley believes TV stars must adapt to the younger generations. “Judging food or judging anything is harder. But I’ve got kids – my daughter is 31 and she just turned around and said, ‘it’s not for you, Dad, it’s for our generation.’ And it really is.
“You have to look at who’s coming forward. People talk about ‘woke this, woke that.’ No, it’s now. It’s where we live. This is society. We live it, breathe it, live it, love it. And especially when you’ve got young grandchildren, you can see that’s the world they’re coming into. Protect it. Respect those people. I was there once, you know, 30 years ago, and it’s their time now. Let them develop. Let the world come alive.”
Gregg Wallace faces allegations of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour while working on BBC’s MasterChef. One woman said he touched her bottom after an event and another said he pressed his crotch against her while filming on a different show. His lawyers have strongly denied “he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.
The 60-year-old MasterChef judge announced his decision to step down from the show after nearly 20 years after an investigation into allegations of misconduct was launched.
Last week Gregg apologised for claiming complaints about his behaviour came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”, adding he will “take some time out”.
The BBC has previously said it will not “tolerate behaviour that falls below the standards we expect” and will continue to champion “a culture that is kind, inclusive and respectful”.
In the message sent to staff by the corporation’s director-general, Tim Davie, and Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s chief content officer, on Friday, they also said that they would be supporting Banijay UK, the producers of MasterChef, in their investigation.
The BBC also announced that it was pulling a Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off and a MasterChef Strictly Christmas special from TV schedules amid the investigation.