A report by an independent body has confirmed 45 allegations made against Gregg Wallace, the MasterChef host.
Wallace was fired by the BBC after it said 50 people had approached the broadcaster with new claims of sexual harassment.
Lewis Silkin, a law firm, has released its findings following an investigation commissioned by MasterChef production company Banijay.
The investigation took seven months to complete and heard 41 complaints against Wallace, all of which related to his work as a MasterChef presenter.
The investigation was based on 45 of the allegations. It included 78 interviews with witnesses, analysis of documentation and uncut programme footage.
Only one of the allegations was substantiated in 2018.
The majority of complaints were about inappropriate sexual language or humour. A smaller number concerned inappropriate language, as well as being undressed. Unwanted physical contact was confirmed in one case.
Between 2012 and 2019 there were 10 separate allegations made about other individuals, of which only two were proven.
Banijay acquired Endemol Shine in 2020. This was the result of a 2016 merger between Endemol and Shine.
Lewis Silkin discovered that there were no clear procedures for escalation or formal training in place prior to 2016. This led to a lack of reporting of inappropriate behavior.
In the report, it was found that freelancers in particular felt they were unable to voice concerns due to fears about their future employment. The report stated that HR processes and employee training had “improved substantially” since 2016, and will continue to improve in 2020.
In the past, complaints were handled on an informal basis and case by case, without any records of actions taken. There was also the issue that BBC did not have centralized or consolidated information on complaints raised. As a result, reports were treated as first-time offences.
Banijay stated it would not give further details on specific allegations but that the number substantiated accusations made his return to MasterChef untenable.
Patrick Holland, the chief executive of Banijay, UK, stated that the report “provided much-needed clarity” on issues that have spanned almost 20 years.
It is a difficult read, but it provides invaluable insight into how to make sure that everyone involved in our productions will feel safe and supported and that any inappropriate behavior will be dealt with quickly and professionally.
The report acknowledges that “the ways of reporting concerns while working on our productions have improved dramatically in recent years, as well as the protocols for behaviour and training both for cast and crew.”
We constantly review our welfare procedures to make sure they are as robust and reliable as possible.
He said that the company has an existing confidential speak-up service for those who wish to bring up issues. However, it will be launching a new, externally run whistleblowing program across all its productions. The service will provide cast and crew with independent advice and support.
In the past, before 2016, when most of these issues occurred, it was clear that escalation processes were not as robust and policies and procedures weren’t well known, especially among freelancers.
The report highlights the reluctance of production staff to bring up issues or concerns. This contributed to a lack of reporting at that time. We as a business and an industry that relies on freelancers must constantly address how to create environments in which people feel supported and safe so that issues can be addressed. Banijay UK supports the BBC’s recently announced Respect at Work guidelines,” he said.
Holland acknowledged Wallace’s Autism diagnosis after the presenter claimed that this played a part in his inappropriate behavior. He stated that this was “relevant” to certain behaviors identified in the report, but said the company should have done more to manage inappropriate behavior patterns.
He said that the “volume and consistency of the allegations” were confirmed, so it was not appropriate for him return to the show.
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