MasterChef star Anna Haugh has decided against commenting on the recent scandal involving her co-star Gregg Wallace.
Anna, 44, worked closely with the presenter after joining MasterChef: The Professionals as a judge for one series in 2022. Gregg, 60, is currently embroiled in controversy, facing claims of inappropriate sexual comments from 13 individuals over 17 years.
Last year, the Irish chef appeared on the Grilled by The Staff Canteen podcast and chose Gregg as her guest. The podcast is hosted by professionals in hospitality who share their experiences working in the industry.
During the episode, Anna and Gregg discussed what they dislike when eating at restaurants.
“I don’t like when the person taking my order sits down beside me and gets real close,” Anna admitted.
Elaborating, the TV personality continued: “You know sometimes when you go somewhere and they get real close to you, I’m always like ‘Back up. Back up’.”
Gregg admitted that is something he has never experienced, adding: “I think there are lots of people who would like to get close to you but not many want to get close to Gregg Wallace.”
Anna responded: “They might be more intimidated by you.”
Gregg has been accused of making sexually inappropriate comments and jokes to his colleagues, while other allegations include requesting phone numbers from female production staff, standing too close to women working on his shows and talking openly about his sex life on set.
Gregg’s lawyers have refuted the claims, saying “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.
It comes after ghostwriter Shannon Kyle alleged that the former BBC star made “revolting” and “sickening” sexualised remarks to her, and touched her inappropriately.
Shannon, who was 35 at the time, was working with Gregg on his autobiography, Life On A Plate. She claimed that the TV star shared explicit details of his own sex life when working on the book between May and August 2012.
In an interview with Victoria Derbyshire for BBC‘s Newsnight, the writer alleged that Gregg inappropriately touched her thigh when she was sitting in the passenger seat of his sports car. She also accused the presenter of feeling her bottom after he appeared at the Good Food Show in Birmingham.
