Gregg Wallace was 'fascinated by my sex life and made lesbian jokes'

Television host Gregg Wallace has been accused of making "lesbian jokes constantly" by a woman who worked on a travel show with him.

The woman, who we are calling Anna, said he was "fascinated" by the fact she dated women and asked her the "logistics" of how it worked. She is one of a number of workers across a range of shows who came to BBC News with claims about the TV presenter.

On Thursday, MasterChef's production company said Wallace is to step away from presenting the show while allegations of historical misconduct are investigated.

Wallace's lawyers say it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature. Masterchef's production company Banijay UK has launched an investigation and said Wallace is co-operating.

Downing Street said allegations about Wallace were "deeply concerning".

A Number 10 spokesman said it was "right" that a thorough investigation is conducted but that "this of course is one for the BBC".

"While that process is under way it wouldn't be right for me to comment," the spokesman added.

Other allegations the BBC has heard are that Wallace talked about spanking and threesomes in front of crew.

In a video posted on Instagram on Thursday evening, Wallace said: "I would like to thank all the people getting in touch, reaching out and showing their support.

Anna worked on Gregg Wallace's Big Weekends in 2019. She told us that Wallace regularly talked about sex, and about domination and spanking.

"[It] was highly inappropriate," she said.

She says he also constantly made comments about her sexual orientation, including when he met her partner.

“I date women and Gregg Wallace was fascinated by that," she said.

She added that he asked her if she was "sure" she didn't want to date men.

'I refused to work with him again' Another woman, who we are calling Georgina, worked on the BBC's Eat Well For Less TV show with Wallace in 2019.

She says he would constantly say inappropriate things to her, such as making comments that his wife was only two years older than her.

"It made me uncomfortable," she said. "What am I meant to say in response to that?"

On another occasion, she says she had to go to Wallace's car to sort out his parking ticket for him.

She asked him if that was OK, to which he allegedly responded: “You can come to my car, but can you handle the fact everyone will think you just got off with a celebrity?”

Both Georgina, and her colleague, who we're calling Lisa, also say he came out of a bathroom topless in front of them once during a shoot and asked them to take his coffee order.