John Torode raised concerns about MasterChef co-star Gregg Wallace’s conduct(Picture: BBC/Shine TV)
MasterChef’s John Torode flagged Gregg Wallace’s ‘behaviour and poor-taste remarks’ on the BBC show multiple times.

Wallace, 60, stepped back from the long-running cooking programme after its producer Banijay UK announced an investigation into historical allegations of misconduct.

He has been accused of making ‘inappropriate sexual jokes’ and lewd comments on set, 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.

Further allegations claim he groped three people in different incidents, that he ‘mimicked sex acts’ and walked around the studio almost ‘completely naked’, with more than 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year-period making complaints.

A source has claimed to The Sun that Torode, 59, repeatedly raised concerns to Banijay UK about Wallace’s ‘less savoury behaviour’ but no action was taken.

They said: ‘He repeatedly flagged his behaviour and poor-taste remarks to execs on set and made clear he wasn’t happy. It was never a formal ­complaint, rather a series of spoken concerns raised.

Wallace has stepped back from MasterChef amid the allegations and the investigation (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
‘He does not know whether any formal record was ever made but the sense he got was that bosses needed to protect the ­MasterChef brand at all costs and that meant turning a blind eye.

‘He and Lisa are mortified with the fall-out, and are considering hiring a PR to help handle the situation and extract themselves as quickly as possible.’

It comes after claims Wallace was left ‘devastated’ by Torode’s statement on the scandal in which he said the reports about co-host’s alleged behaviour were ‘upsetting’.

A source said: ‘Gregg is devastated by John’s response and feels gutted that John isn’t supporting him publicly.

‘The most important thing for him is that his wife is okay, as she and his children are the most important thing to him.’

The insider added to The Express that Wallace is trying to focus on Christmas and ‘doesn’t want to hold back this year because of what has happened’.

Wallace has reportedly been left ‘gutted’ by Torode’s statement (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Torode also said in his Instagram statement on Wednesday that he would not comment further on the allegations while the investigation continues.

He said: ‘Since last Friday I have been away filming MasterChef overseas. I love my job, and I love MasterChef. I love being part of it and will continue to be part of it.

‘During the last few days, I’ve been trying to make the best cookery programme, so being busy making the show and caring for our contestants has allowed me little time to think about anything else, but that has been hard.

‘The thought of anyone who has appeared on our show not having a brilliant experience is awful to hear, and I have found the recent press reports truly upsetting.’

He added: ‘But as I hope everyone appreciates there is an investigation underway, which I fully support, so I cannot make any further comment at this stage and I hope that you all understand and respect my silence on the matter moving forward.’

Despite their long-standing professional relationship, seven years ago Torode declared he and Wallace ‘aren’t really friends’.

‘I think because we’re so friendly on screen, they find it really difficult to understand why we’re not as friendly off screen,’ he told the Radio Times in 2021.

Explaining how it was ‘well documented that we don’t socialise outside of work’ Torode said they still hadn’t been to each other’s houses but said their relationship was ‘calm and in good stead’.

Torode previously said they’re not ‘as friendly’ off screen (Picture: BBC/Shine TV)
Torode’s wife Lisa Faulkner has also recently spoken about Wallace making  ‘rude joke after rude joke’ when she competed on Celebrity MasterChef in 2010.

‘Gregg was telling – I’m probably not allowed to say this…Gregg just told rude joke after rude joke to the crew,’ she said at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.

‘You’re just sitting there and if you’re on the front bench just chopping away thinking, “I’ve got ten minutes left”, and he’s saying, “So this girl walked into a bar…” And I’m going, “Please, I don’t want to hear this joke”.’

John’s wife Lisa claimed Gregg told ‘rude’ jokes (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
On Tuesday, the BBC announced that two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials, a Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off and a Strictly Festive Extravaganza, have been pulled from its festive schedule.

The BBC 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.’

On Tuesday night Wallace faced fresh allegations with BBC News reporting that one woman said he touched her bottom after an event and another said he pressed his crotch against her while filming on a different show.

His lawyers have previously strongly denied ‘he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature’, according to BBC News.

The likes of Ulrika Jonsson and Kirstie Allsopp have spoken out, with more stars stepping forward, and after Wallace – who has fiercely denied the allegations – faced further backlash for claiming they come from ‘middle-class women of a certain age’, he issued an apology and said he’s taking some time away from social media.