Rod Stewart Criticizes Gregg Wallace for Bullying His Wife During Celebrity MasterChef

On November 28, 2024, Rod Stewart, age 79, expressed strong sentiments on Instagram regarding Gregg Wallace. This post followed reports about Wallace's departure from the UK’s MasterChef amid sexual misconduct allegations. In a direct confrontation, Stewart accused Wallace of humiliating his wife, Penny Lancaster, when she competed on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021, PEOPLE reported. Stewart wrote, "Good Riddance Wallace … You humiliated my wife when she was on the show, but you had that part cut out didn’t you? You’re a tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully. Karma got you."

On the same day, several media outlets announced that the production firm Banijay UK launched an investigation into Wallace, age 60, regarding the allegations. Banijay UK stated that Wallace is "committed to fully cooperating throughout the process" but will withdraw from the show during this period. A spokesperson from BBC, which airs MasterChef, emphasized their serious approach to any raised concerns, stating, "We have robust processes in place to deal with them and behavior falling below expected standards will not be tolerated."

In a parallel move, Wallace took to Instagram, thanking supporters. He said, "I would like to thank all the people getting in touch, reaching out and showing their support. It’s good of you, thank you very much."

 BBC News reported details of a letter provided to Wallace's representatives, detailing accusations from 13 individuals who had worked with him over 17 years. Wallace's lawyers have rebutted these claims, labeling them as "entirely false." They argued that despite the allegations not being directly reported to the producers or Banijay UK, an external review was appropriate for an impartial investigation.

Scottish presenter Kirsty Wark is the source of one allegation. Wark mentioned incidents where Wallace made inappropriate comments during filming in 2011. "There were two occasions where he used sexualized language in front of others; it was uncomfortable," she remarked.

Moreover, the BBC had previously alerted Wallace about complaints from two women regarding his conduct during the show Impossible Celebrities in 2018. These women stated that Wallace made them uncomfortable with conversations about his sex life. The outcome was an apology from Wallace and offers of counseling for those who had complained.

Earlier, SSP reported that pregnant Brittany Mahomes shares maternity milestone that made her emotional.