Gregg Wallace ‘thought about suicide all the time’ after scandal

Gregg Wallace had suicidal thoughts after his sexual misconduct scandal (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Gregg Wallace has said he ‘thought about suicide all the time’ after being investigated over misconduct allegations late last year.

The TV presenter, 60, stepped back from the show following a number of complaints and accusations made against him, which he has denied.

Last month, he was seen with his wife Anne-Marie Sterpini for the first time since the scandal, seemingly putting on a united front.

On MasterChef, Wallace was replaced by Chef Anna Haugh after criticism for his statement, which claimed the complaints came from ‘middle-class women of a certain age’.

The allegations led to an external investigation by MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK, which is ongoing.

‘Nobody should be left on their own to face something like this,’ Wallace told the Daily Mail of the backlash. ‘It’s very difficult to explain the pressure unless you’ve been through it. I thought about suicide all the time.’

He worried how his death would impact wife Anne-Marie Sterpini (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

He shared that he thought the impact his death would have on his wife, whether she would get his money, and if his insurance was up to date.

Wallace confessed he believed the situation would be ‘better’ for Sterpini if he ‘wasn’t here’.

The TV presenter addressed controversial social media posts, which even attracted attention from Sir Keir Starmer, who slammed his words as ‘misogynistic’.

He claimed the BBC had not contacted him after the allegations became public, but the online discourse left Wallace wanting to defend himself.

‘I hadn’t slept for four days,’ the former greengrocer continued. ‘The feeling of being under attack, of isolation, of abandonment was overwhelming. News channels were updating hourly with new allegations.’

Reporters appeared outside his home, and the backlash online steadily grew, with celebrities like Sir Rod Stewart weighing in.

This led to Wallace feeling unable to sleep, suffering from stress and feeling ‘dirty and horrible’ as ‘everyone is saying you’re a pervert’.

He lamented that women who he thought he had a ‘decent relationship with’ were ‘attacking’ him.

The accusations include making ‘inappropriate sexual jokes’ and lewd comments on set, with the chef admitting to The Mail that these allegations were ‘probably true’.

He confessed to opening his dressing room door with just a ‘sock over my private bits’ and shouting hooray but said it was just three friends in the studio after filming had finished.

Other allegations include 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.

Two MasterChef specials were pulled from the BBC Christmas coverage (Picture: BBC/Shine TV)

Wallace’s lawyers previously told the BBC: ‘It is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature’.

While he continues to deny the most severe allegations, such as groping crew members, the accusations have been eye-opening.

The London-born presenter added: ‘I don’t want to make myself sound innocent because, I’ve come to realise, I must have offended a lot of people over the years when you look at the number of complaints.’

However, he then said that the stressful nature of MasterChef leaves people disappointed with ‘shattered dreams’.

Wallace said: ‘I think there has been a lot of misunderstanding of my intention, and so many of the complaints are from so long ago. There’s a difference between what they think I said and what was actually said.’

MasterChef: The Professionals continued to air last year after the allegations, but the two Christmas specials were pulled.

Grace Dent stepped in to host with John Torode (Picture: BBC/PA Wire)

BBC bosses previously said the corporation will not ‘tolerate behaviour that falls below the standards we expect’ and will continue to champion ‘a culture that is kind, inclusive and respectful.’

A memo sent to staff by the BBC director-general, Tim Davie, and Charlotte Moore, chief content officer, said the corporation would be supporting MasterChef producer Banijay UK in its investigation.

Earlier this month, Banijay UK said in a statement: ‘It is important to note that MasterChef welfare processes are regularly adapted and strengthened and there are clear protocols to support both crew and contributors.

‘These include multiple ways of reporting issues, including anonymously. HR contact details are promoted and contributors are assigned a point of contact on set available to discuss any issues or concerns.’

Banijay UK declined to comment on Wallace’s interview when contacted by the PA news agency.