Gregg Wallace to face BBC in court next spring

Former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace has stated that his initial court appearance concerning legal action against the BBC will take place in spring next year. Mr Wallace announced his intention to reignite legal proceedings after being dismissed from the popular cooking programme.

Mr Wallace, aged 62, served as a co-host and judge on the BBC's MasterChef from 2005 to 2024. In November 2024, it was announced he would step aside from his role pending an investigation into misconduct allegations. He was subsequently sacked in July 2025, following a review that substantiated 45 out of 83 allegations made against him. These alleged incidents primarily occurred between 2005 and 2018 and included claims of unwelcome physical contact.

Previous Legal Action

Earlier this year, Mr Wallace discontinued a High Court case he had initiated against the BBC and BBC Studios Distribution Limited. In that action, he sought up to £10,000 in damages, alleging failures in data disclosure by the broadcaster had caused him distress and harassment. The BBC had stated in court documents that it would defend the claim and denied Mr Wallace had suffered any distress or harassment, asserting he was not entitled to damages.

Following the results of the review into his conduct, Mr Wallace issued an apology, stating he was "deeply sorry for any distress caused" and that he "never set out to harm or humiliate". He has since posted on social media platform X that the investigation "overturned each of their complaints" and that he felt he was the victim of a "terrible witch hunt".

A BBC spokesperson confirmed that Mr Wallace discontinued his claim shortly before a hearing scheduled for February 16 and that he is not receiving any payment in costs or damages from the BBC or BBC Studios.

Co-host Dismissal

Mr Wallace's former MasterChef co-presenter, John Torode, was also dismissed from the BBC. This action followed allegations of using racist language, which were upheld as part of the report examining Mr Wallace's behaviour. The current presenters of MasterChef are food critic Grace Dent and chef Anna Haugh.