Greg Wallace suspended

ferry23

It wouldn't surprise me if we're soon fed a litany of childhood traumas he had to endure.

Yes, apparently sexually abused by a male baby-sitter at age 8 but didn't mention it at the time.

MissAdventure

Yes, perhaps he'll perhaps he'll discover he's a sex addict and go off for treatment somewhere.

From Wikipedia - Wallace married his first wife, Christine, in 1991 but their marriage only lasted six weeks. He has two children with his second wife, former pastry chef Denise Lovell, whom he was married to between 1999 and 2004. Wallace later married biology teacher Heidi Brown, in 2010, his third wife who was 17 years his junior, after meeting her on Twitter. The relationship ended after 15 months.

Wallace met Anne-Marie Sterpini, 21 years his junior, also on Twitter, in 2013 and they married in August 2016. Masterchef co-host John Torode served as best man at the wedding at Hever Castle, Kent. Sterpini gave birth to their first child in 2019. Wallace publicly expressed his fears of being an "old parent" but said that he was considering having more children Wallace's son was diagnosed with autism in 2022.In February 2024, Wallace told the Telegraph that having another child "isn't something that I would have chosen at my age", but did so to please his wife. (I think it was the Sun which said that he only agreed if she employed a professional to look after the child, as he didn't want to lose his lithe, sexy wife. I can't find the reference to identify it, but I don't want to pay to search the Sun for it)

It is reported in several papers (Sun, Mirror, Express etc) that his second wife (Denise Lovell) gave an interview round about the time of his marriage to Anne-Marie Sterpini (not published then, but it seems to have resurfaced now) where she said that marriage to him had been sheer hell, and very lonely, and that he was a womaniser who was obsessed with sex and completely in control of the money. Could be bias from a former partner, could be an indicator of his personality. He himself has said that his wife's rule was that he had to be home in time for the children waking up.

MissAdventure

Yes, perhaps he'll perhaps he'll discover he's a sex addict and go off for treatment somewhere.

Or be given a TV show on an island, so he can defend himself without fear of interruption.

Yes, perhaps he'll perhaps he'll discover he's a sex addict and go off for treatment somewhere.

It wouldn't surprise me if we're soon fed a litany of childhood traumas he had to endure.

Obviously still got a potty mouth!

He was probably potty trained too early.

MissAdventure

Ah.
The diagnosis that I said would be coming.

No surprises there.
It does a huge disservice to those who live with these diagnoses.

Exactly. He is merely using it as some kind of 'get out of jail free' card - even if he did have such a diagnosis, it does not excuse his kind of behaviour.

Ah.
The diagnosis that I said would be coming.

No surprises there.
It does a huge disservice to those who live with these diagnoses.

Innocent women get swept up in the suspicion that often greets their allegations of sexual abuse. The repeated comments here about the life of a falsely accused man possibly being ruined are true. The lives of many women are damaged some beyond repair, by abusive men

Not spaghetti
Point taken there is usually two sides to every story

Dickens. I take you point and I did say I was not going to comment on Greg Wallace and that there are sleazy guys that need sorting out
My point was that the innocent can get swept along with dire consequences
So far as attention seeking behaviours one reads of in serious crime case police get more than one individual claiming to have committed the crime

easybee
the me-too brigade joining in, usually because they scent compensation

This strikes me as rather dismissive- and actually wrong!
People do not "usually" want compensation. They want it to stop!

You are right about the friends though.
We must all speak up. In private and in public.

Gwyllt at least the people who witnessed your "perfectly normal" incident at the market were willing and able to support you had there been a real issue. That would no doubt have helped someone in genuine trouble.
Good for them.

Too right Dickens.

I find it incomprehensible that women can dismiss this type of lewd and crude behaviour as "workplace banter". It's not workplace banter, it's overly suggestive, sexually driven, disrespectful, unacceptable behaviour.

To dismiss it as harmless fun shows at best a total lack of ability to read the room (or the man) and at worst, a complete lack of dignity and any shred of self-respect.

I agree with you, Gwylt about the me-too brigade joining in, usually because they scent compensation, but Greg Wallace's behaviour has been apparent since he became famous, has been reported and remonstrations delivered, which he has completely ignored.
His' friends' who have conveniently diagnosed Autism would have done better to have taken him into a corner every time he made his lewd remarks to women, and threatened him with....losing his salary and his job, perhaps, and made him apologise?

Well said, Dickens!

Gwyllt

I am not going to comment on Wallace there are many sleazy guys out there who need sorting out. However I feel these occurrences can take on a life of there own and people jump on the bandwagon
Many years ago when I had a small holding. I took some lambs into market and one of the porters, whom I knew quite well , came up behind me put his hands on my shoulders and said something along the lines of “Hello darling what you brought in for us today”
All very normal chat. I was approached by this woman who asked me if I was going to report him. No I replied. She was joined by two others who quite forcefully told me he should not be allowed to get away with such behaviour. He wasn’t too close or pushed up against me. Can you imagine what might have happened if I had reported him Perhaps even his job on the line.
I think sometimes the me too brigade join in for the attention

I think sometimes the me too brigade join in for the attention

Attention from whom? News media? Or social-media? - where, as well as being applauded for speaking up, they will be castigated for having "crawled out of the woodwork", and if they're unlucky, they might also get rape threats and death threats - such is social media.

The claims against Wallace are in a different league to your experience in the market - are you really suggesting these women - and at least one man - are all in it for the attention?

Maybe your market porter was just a friendly chappie who would equally run up behind a man, put his hands on his shoulders and ask "hello mate, what you brought in for us today?"? Who knows - do you?

Women are asking to be treated with respect in the workplace, the same respect that is usually afforded to men.

We've had a lifetime of either being patronised, of men being over-familiar, of innuendo, offensive comments - singularly or as a group... and even groping - in the workplace.

Yes, "me too" has taken on a life of its own - because it needed to, because it's the only way some men will learn to keep their hands and their comments to themselves, and that we are no longer at their mercy.

Thanks for the link lemsip, I read this earlier.
RosiesMaw2, I’m not the only gransnet poster with neuro diverse family
Being neurodiverse is not an excuse for inappropriate sexualised behaviour. Neither is being male

Aye, right, as they say in Scotland.

GREGG WALLACE is expected to tell independent investigators that his sexually inappropriate behaviour could be linked to undiagnosed autism.
Friends of the MasterChef presenter are convinced he suffers from a neurodiversity condition that explains his behaviour. The production company which makes the show, Banijay, announced last week it was launching an investigation into complaints made against Wallace over his behaviour. A law firm is conducting the inquiry
Forgive me if I am sceptical or even cynical. It seems too convenient as well as doing a disservice to those who are genuinely neurodivergent.

Gino D'Acampo 'is being ditched by ITV amid string of inappropriate behaviour claimsA source told the publication: 'Whilst Gino is very well-liked by some, he has fallen out with many. He loves a party and, ultimately, refused to sign the morality clause in his contract which would keep him on the straight and narrow. This was the final straw and the decision was made to part ways.
www.thesun.co.uk/tv/32164970/gino-dacampo-itv-inappropriate-behaviour-claims/
and other outlets

I am not going to comment on Wallace there are many sleazy guys out there who need sorting out. However I feel these occurrences can take on a life of there own and people jump on the bandwagon
Many years ago when I had a small holding. I took some lambs into market and one of the porters, whom I knew quite well , came up behind me put his hands on my shoulders and said something along the lines of “Hello darling what you brought in for us today”
All very normal chat. I was approached by this woman who asked me if I was going to report him. No I replied. She was joined by two others who quite forcefully told me he should not be allowed to get away with such behaviour. He wasn’t too close or pushed up against me. Can you imagine what might have happened if I had reported him Perhaps even his job on the line.
I think sometimes the me too brigade join in for the attention

I don't think anyone is trying to trash his reputation Allira.

I made a point of saying he seems like an ok bloke and has never said or done anything offensive. And that he's always said he's not friends with Wallace outside of the programme.

I personally would like him to stay fronting Masterchef and I'm pretty sure he may be asked for input as to a suitable replacement. I hope so anyway.

Allira

^No, you’re right ferry23, I remembered reading about it too, he has had a failed restaurant, just not that recently. By the looks as if he learned from his mistakes though^
He made the mistake of opening another one, too soon, in the wrong place.
He then opened a third restaurant:

Additionally, Torode opened another restaurant The Luxe in Spitalfields, which following years of leadership and dedication, Torode opted to eventually sell The Luxe along with Smiths of Smithfield. However, during his tenure, both restaurants made a turnover of £9.2 million

But do carry on destroying his reputation and suggesting he leaves Masterchef if that pleases you, just because his colleague is a misogynistic sex pest.

Guilt by association.

What do you mean trashing his reputation? I meant that the programme is in a rut, and that fresh blood would revitalise it, which I think it needs. John Torode is a good presenter, but there are other roles he could take on, which I also suggested. He’d be good on Saturday Kitchen.

No, you’re right ferry23, I remembered reading about it too, he has had a failed restaurant, just not that recently. By the looks as if he learned from his mistakes though
He made the mistake of opening another one, too soon, in the wrong place.
He then opened a third restaurant:

Additionally, Torode opened another restaurant The Luxe in Spitalfields, which following years of leadership and dedication, Torode opted to eventually sell The Luxe along with Smiths of Smithfield. However, during his tenure, both restaurants made a turnover of £9.2 million

But do carry on destroying his reputation and suggesting he leaves Masterchef if that pleases you, just because his colleague is a misogynistic sex pest.

Guilt by association.

No, you’re right ferry23, I remembered reading about it too, he has had a failed restaurant, just not that recently. By the looks as if he learned from his mistakes though.
www.ft.com/content/754889d4-7a60-11df-9cd7-00144feabdc0
I think it’s probably the right time to change both the hosts, because in the public mind Torode and Wallis are a duo, so maybe John Torode could move on to another programme, and somebody new could host Masterchef, and give it a refresh. I hope they keep Marcus and Monica though, they are both so good at what they do.