A BBC spokesman said: “We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.

“We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.

“Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them.”

A Number 10 spokesman said: “The allegations made are deeply concerning regarding today’s reporting.

“It’s right that a thorough investigation is conducted, but this of course is one for the BBC and you will have seen their statement saying that they ‘take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place’.

“While that process is underway it wouldn’t be right for me to comment. I believe the BBC is currently undertaking a workplace culture review to deliver clear and timely recommendations, and it’s essential that staff and the wider public have confidence that the BBC takes these issues seriously.”

The Telegraph’s restaurant critic William Sitwell said he was “astonished” at the allegations being made against Wallace in a comment piece in the newspaper.

He wrote: “Interesting, funny, exhausting and outrageous, is the Gregg I know. I gather his colleagues at MasterChef and the production company are as astonished as I am about the news.

“And I’m sure we all hope this force of nature will be back on set sooner than you can say, as his catchphrase goes, ‘buttery biscuit base’.”

Penny Lancaster has spoken out after her husband, Rod Stewart, accused Gregg Wallance of bullying her in a dramatic social media post.

Stewart took to Instagram on Thursday to accuse Wallace of “humiliating” his wife and then having the footage “cut” when she was a contestant on the celebrity version of Masterchef in 2021.

A spokesperson for Penny Lancaster has now said she is happy to “talk to the appropriate authorities” after the host stepped down from the BBC show.

A spokesperson told the MailOnline: ‘While Penny is happy to talk to the appropriate authorities should they feel she has anything useful to add, she will not be discussing the matter with any broadcaster or newspaper at this time.’

A former senior BBC TV producer has said the media industry needs to create a culture where “everybody says it’s just not acceptable to make people feel uncomfortable” after a host of allegations have been made against TV presenter Gregg Wallace.

The 60-year-old faces accusations of inappropriate sexual comments from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period, as reported by BBC News.

Lorraine Heggessey, the first female controller of BBC One, told BBC Breakfast: “This is the latest in a long line of presenters behaving badly and making particularly junior staff on a production feel really uncomfortable about what they’re saying or doing, and we need to, as an industry, draw a line.

“It’s not just a BBC problem, I think it’s an industry-wide problem.”

Mr Wallace, 60, is best known for co-presenting MasterChef alongside John Torode since 2005, as well as its spin-offs Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals.

He was the original presenter of the BBC show Saturday Kitchen in 2002 and has also featured on Eat Well For Less, Inside The Factory, Turn Back Time, Harvest, and Supermarket Secrets.

He was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2022 for his services to food and charity. Mr Wallace took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2014 and was partnered with Aliona Vilani.

He has two children, Tom and Libby, from a former relationship. He married Anne-Marie Sterpini in 2016 and the couple have a son called Sid.

Katy Brand has spoken out after a resurfaced MasterChef clip showed Gregg Wallace directed a “crass” innuendo her way.

On Thursday (28 November), it was revealed that Wallace had stepped down as host of the BBC cookery series amid an investigation into alleged inappropriate comments made across a 17-year period.

Since news broke of the scandal, several stars to have appeared on Celebrity MasterChef, including former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark and Geordie Shore’s Charlotte Crosby, have hit out at the host for alleged remarks they heard when they were filming episodes.

One lewd comment made by Wallace occurred in 2013, directed at comedian Brand, actually made it to air – and has gone viral in the wake of the news.

See Brand’s response here:

Sir Rod Stewart has accused Masterchef host Gregg Wallace of humiliating his wife after she was reduced to tears on his show three years ago.

Sir Rod branded Mr Wallace, 60, a “tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully” following Penny Lancaster’s appearance on an episode in which the celebrity chef refused to eat her food in 2021.

Writing on Instagram, Sir Rod said: “So Gregg Wallace gets fired from Masterchef. Good riddance Wallace.

“You humiliated my wife when she was on the show, but you had that bit cut out didn’t you?

“You’re a tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully. Karma got ya. Sir Rod Stewart.”

The greengrocer-turned-presenter is stepping back from ‘MasterChef’ while allegations of historical misconduct are investigated.

Wallace, who has been married four times, has previously said he resents any insinuation he was “flirting” with someone who is not his wife Anna, 37, in relation to claims made against him.

Read more about the TV stalwart’s colourful relationship history below: