BBC axes MasterChef Christmas specials after Gregg Wallace scandal-Sabrina Barr-Entertainment – Metro

The festive episodes will no longer be shown (Picture: BBC/Shine TV)

The BBC is officially pulling the MasterChef Christmas specials following historical allegations of misconduct made against presenter Gregg Wallace.

Following the news that Wallace, 60, had ‘stepped away’ from the cooking series, an episode of the Professionals spin-off still aired on Monday night.

However, it’s now been confirmed that the festive instalments that were due to air later this month will no longer be broadcast.

A BBC spokesperson said: ‘As we have said, MasterChef is an amazing competition which is life-changing for the chefs taking part and the current series of MasterChef: The Professionals is continuing as planned.

‘The celebrity Christmas specials are obviously a different type of show and in the current circumstances we have decided not to broadcast them.’

The news of the festive episodes being cancelled comes as the claims made against Wallace are investigated, and following his apology for remarks that he made about ‘middle-class women’.

The Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off would have seen celebrities compete for the Golden Whisk Trophy, with the programme hosted by Wallace and John Torode.

The cast included comedian Shazia Mirza, Love Island star Luca Bish, The Wanted singer Max George and Emmerdale star Amy Walsh.

The second festive episode was themed around Strictly Come Dancing, with professional dancers Amy Dowden, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu and Gorka Márquez due to take part.

Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse was also billed as a guest star.

In addition to the MasterChef Christmas specials, three episodes of BBC Two’s Inside The Factory, which are repeats, are also coming out of the schedule.

On Monday, Wallace posted a video on Instagram in which he explained that he was going to be taking a ‘time out’, having shared multiple posts on social media since the historical allegations of misconduct came to light.

Wallace has co-hosted MasterChef since 2005 (Picture: BBC/Shine TV)

Wallace apologised for ‘any offence’ and ‘any upset’ that he might have caused, having claimed in a previous video that the complaints being made against him were ‘coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age’.

Before his apology, he had said in a video posted online on Sunday: ‘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.’

Wallace’s lawyers have hit back at the accusations (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

The accusations that have been made against Wallace include 13 people alleging that he made inappropriate sexual comments on several shows across a 17-year period.

Wallace’s lawyers say it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature, BBC News reported.

On Monday, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson said in a statement: ‘The Culture Secretary spoke with the BBC leadership at the end of last week on this matter and wider workplace culture issues to seek assurances that there are robust processes in place to deal with complaints.

‘Clearly the comments we have seen from the individual over the weekend were completely inappropriate and misogynistic.

‘More broadly the BBC is conducting an independent review into workplace culture which must deliver clear and timely recommendations. It’s essential that staff and the wider public have confidence that the BBC takes these issues seriously.’

In his apology video, Wallace said: ‘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 headspace 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 will accept this apology.’

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