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Sean Lock’s savage verdict on whether Gregg Wallace deserved national treasure status has resurfaced after an investigation into his conduct was launched.
The comedian, who died in 2021 from cancer at the age of 58, said the MasterChef presenter should not join the likes of Sir David Attenborough explaining the reason why was because he had ‘met him.’
On 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Lock also said the BBC presenter, 60, had ‘no sense of irony or humour.’
The clip has been doing the rounds on the internet since it was announced Wallace had stepped away from MasterChef while historical allegations of misconduct are investigated by show’s producer Banijay.
He is facing various accusations of making ‘inappropriate sexual jokes’, asking for the phone numbers of female members of production staff, and undressing in front of and standing ‘too close’ to women working on his shows.
It’s also claimed Wallace ‘mimicked sex acts’ and walked around the studio almost ‘completely naked’, with stars including the likes of Kirstie Allsopp and Ulrika Jonsson speaking out about their experiences with him.
Wallace’s lawyers say ‘it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.’
On Channel 4 show 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Lock was tasked with deciding which celebrities deserve ‘national treasure’ status, snubbing the likes of Ed Sheeran and Ant McPartlin.
Selecting a photo of Wallace visiting a food factory, Lock joked that he ‘came close’ as ‘he wears a hair net even though he’s bald’.
The comedian added: ‘No, I like him because he’s got no sense of irony or humour.’
On why he couldn’t declare Wallace a national treasure, he then stated brutally: ‘But I’ve met him.’
‘No, Gregg. He tried to put his spoon in my pudding,’ Lock added.
On Sunday, Wallace shared a statement on social media in a video on Instagram in response to the allegations.
He said: ‘I’ve been doing MasterChef for 20 years, amateur, celebrity and professional MasterChef, and in that time, I have worked with over 4,000 contestants of all different ages, different backgrounds, all walks of life.
‘Apparently now, I’m reading in the paper, there’s been 13 complaints in that time.
‘In the newspaper, I can see the complaints coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age, just from Celebrity MasterChef. This isn’t right.’
In a second video, Wallace added: ‘In 20 years, over 20 years of television, can you imagine how many women, female contestants on MasterChef, have made sexual remarks, or sexual innuendo, can you imagine?’
He then claimed ‘absolutely none’ of the people he had worked with on his shows had made a complaint about him in a third Instagram video.
Wallace’s remarks about complaints ‘coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age’ sparked an angry backlash.
Allsopp said his comments were ‘unacceptable’, while Jonsson said she was ‘seething.’
Addressing the claims against Wallace, a BBC spokesperson said: ‘We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them. We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.
‘Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them.’
A Banijay UK spokesperson said: ‘Whilst these are historical allegations, incidences brought to our attention where these expectations are not met, are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately.’
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