The BBC has defended the decision to continue airing the current series of Masterchef: The Professionals despite host Gregg Wallace being under investigation from the production company behind the show.
Last week, it was announced that Gregg would be stepping away from MasterChef while Banijay UK carries out “an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate” complaints that had been made to the BBC regarding his past behaviour.
While the host and judge will no longer be shooting MasterChef in this period, the BBC is continuing to air MasterChef: The Professionals, with two Christmas specials (a celebrity “Cook Off” and a “Strictly Festive Extravaganza”) also set to be shown as planned over the festive period.
On Monday night, a BBC spokesperson told The Guardian: “MasterChef is life-changing for the chefs that take part and the show is about more than one individual.”
Gregg made headlines over the weekend, when he referred to those who’d complained about him as “middle-class women of a certain age”, resulting in a widespread backlash which even the prime minister weighed in on.
Following this, the TV chef issued an apology, claiming he had not been in a “good head space” when he made these remarks.
The BBC previously 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.”
