Stephen Fry has said men on television should “reconsider” their banter amid Gregg Wallace allegations.
Stephen stated that men should think about who might be the “victim or stereotype” behind their “light banter” after Gregg Wallace expressed regret for his handling of criticism for his actions.
Last week, it was confirmed that the 60-year-old Gregg would be stepping away from MasterChef while an external review of misconduct allegations against him occurs.
Comedian and author Stephen called Gregg’s video over the weekend in which he stated the charges, which included making “inappropriate sexual jokes,” originated from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age,” “unbelievably foolish.”
Stephen told Sky News Breakfast on Tuesday: “I think if, by now, people who work in television, men who work in television, don’t understand that light banter is no longer something that can be aired in ways unless they think hard about, is there a sort of victim or a stereotype at the root of this banter who might be hurt.”
“And it’s just good manners, really. Good manners have changed. In Victorian times, certain things couldn’t be referred to or seen and it was only polite to obey this because people were shocked and upset if things were not respected that they respect.”
“And so I think we’ve all just got to realise it’s not about wokeness, it’s just about being sensitive to the atmosphere.”
On Monday, in a follow-up video, Gregg backtracked on his comments by saying: “I want to apologise for any offence that I caused with my post yesterday and any upset I may have caused to a lot of people.”
“I wasn’t in a good head space when I posted it I’ve been under a huge amount of stress a lot of emotion I felt very alone, under siege yesterday when I posted it..
“It’s obvious to me I need to take some time out now while this investigation is under way. I hope you understand and I do hope you accept this apology.”
Masterchef’s production company released a statement announcing Gregg’s departure, stating he is committed to fully cooperating throughout the process.
The statement read: “This week the BBC received complaints from individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct while working with presenter Gregg Wallace on one of our shows.”
“Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company Banijay UK, we feel that it is appropriate to conduct an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate.”
“While this review is underway, Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef and is committed to fully cooperating throughout the process.
“Banijay UK’s duty of care to staff is always a priority and our expectations regarding behaviour are made clear to both cast and crew on all productions, with multiple ways of raising concerns, including anonymously, clearly promoted on set.
“Whilst these are historical allegations, incidences brought to our attention where these expectations are not met, are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately.”
In a video shared on his Instagram Story, Gregg later slammed the allegations against him.
In the video, he said: “Now I’ve been doing Master Chef for 20 years. Amateur, Celebrity and MasterChef.”
“In that time I’ve worked with 40,000 contestants of all different ages, all different backgrounds and all different walks of life. Now I’m reading in the paper that there have been 13 complaints in that time.”
“I can see them coming from a handful of middle class women of a certain age just from Celebrity MasterChef.”
“This isn’t right. Over 20 years of TV, can you imagine how many women on MasterChef have made sexual remarks or sexual innuendo?”
Gregg then posted a screenshot of a comment from Lisa Addison, who was a contestant on MasterChef in 2022.
The comment read: “Filmed with Greg two years ago. An absolute gentleman. The woke will not stop until they get what they want!”
Back in October, the presenter denied making sexual comments to a female colleague – following reports he was previously investigated by the BBC.
According to The Sun, he was investigated for making alleged inappropriate comments to a female member of staff when he appeared on Impossible Celebrities in 2018.
However, the BBC’s review found he could continue working at the corporation.
The 60-year-old, who has been married to his fourth wife Anne-Marie Sterpini since 2016, addressed the allegations in a video shared on Instagram in October.
In the video, he said: “Good morning. With reference to what’s in the newspapers, these allegations were investigated by the BBC six years ago.”
“The allegations were investigated by the BBC six years ago, and my comments were found to be not sexual. I repeat not sexual.
“Something else that I feel very strongly about – strong enough to be on [Instagram] – nobody six years ago or since has accused me of flirting with anybody or hitting on anybody.
“And that’s important to me and I say this for my wife Anna, who I’ve been true to and madly in love with since the day I met her. I don’t want anybody to misunderstand this and make it look like I was flirting with somebody.
“Nobody accused me of that and I never have.”
Gregg was responding to a report in The Sun, which claimed the staff member was “mortified” by his alleged actions.
A source told the newspaper: “Gregg was accused of making inappropriate comments to a younger, female member of the production team.
“He is said to have been boasting about his sex life with his partner at the time. At one point, Gregg was also accused of taking his top off in front of the woman which felt inappropriate.”
“Gregg appeared to think it was all just banter and is also said to have made some comments in front of the live audience.
“The team working on the show were mortified and told BBC top brass what had happened.”
In a statement, the BBC said: “Whilst we do not comment on individuals, if issues are raised they are dealt with swiftly and appropriately at the time. We do not tolerate any form of inappropriate behaviour and have robust processes in place.”
