Television presenter Gregg Wallace will step away from his role on MasterChef after allegations of misconduct, the production company said on Thursday. At least 13 people, who worked with Wallace over a period of 17 years, have come forward accusing him of inappropriate sexual comments, the BBC said in a report. One of them is broadcaster Kirsty Wark, who was a Celebrity MasterChef contestant in 2011. She told the BBC that Wallace told “sexualised” jokes during the filming of the show.

Wallace’s lawyers have denied all the allegations but MasterChef’s production company has launched an investigation and said the presenter is cooperating.

Ms Wark said her overall experience while filming the show was “joyous” but added, “The fly in the ointment, on occasion, was Gregg Wallace.”

“I was actually more angry than anything else, because I thought it was so inappropriate. And in a sense what I thought was it was about power more than anything else, that he felt he could,” said Ms Wark.

BBC said during the investigation, they found Wallace openly talked about his sex life, taking his top off in front of a female co-worker and telling a junior female colleague he wasn’t wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans.

Rod Stewart, whose wife, Penny Lancaster, appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021, reacted to Wallace’s break from the show, calling him a “tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully”.

“So Greg Wallace gets fired from Master Chef. Good riddance Wallace… You humiliated my wife when she was on the show, but you had that bit cut out didn’t you? You’re a tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully. Karma got ya. Sir Rod Stewart,” Stewart said in the post.

Wallace, meanwhile, posted a video on Instagram on Thursday thanking people for supporting him.

“I would like to thank all the people getting in touch, reaching out and showing their support. It’s good of you – thank you very much,” he said.