Gregg Wallace has apologised for branding complainants of his alleged inappropriate behaviour on 'MasterChef' "middle-class women of a certain age".
MasterChef co-host Gregg Wallace
The 60-year-old TV star stepped back from hosting the BBC cookery show last week amid allegations of inappropriate sexual comments and inappropriate behaviour, and at the weekend, he took to Instagram to defend himself against the "13 complaints" which came from "over 4,000 contestants" he has worked during his two decades on all variations of 'MasterChef'.
Responding to the reported accusations, Gregg said "the complaints coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age just from 'Celebrity MasterChef'" - and he has now apologised for any offence caused, as well as revealed he is "taking some time out" in a video on his Instagram Story.
The 60-year-old presenter said: "I want to apologise for any offence that I caused with my post yesterday and any upset I may have caused to a lot of people.
"I wasn't in a good head space when I posted it. I've been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion, I felt very alone, under siege, yesterday, when I posted it.
"It's obvious to me I need to take some time out now while this investigation is underway. I hope you understand, and I do hope you accept this apology."
Gregg stepped back from 'MasterChef' last week after a BBC News investigation revealed that 13 people had accused him of misconduct during filming on 'MasterChef', including former 'Newsnight' presenter Kirsty Wark, who appeared on 'Celebrity MasterChef' in 2011.
The 69-year-old broadcaster told the BBC: "There were two occasions in particular where he used sexualised language in front of a number of people and it wasn’t as if anyone engaged with this.
"It was completely one-way traffic. But I think people were uncomfortable and [it was] something that I really did not expect to happen."
After hitting back at misconduct accusers, he said in an Instagram video: "I've been doing 'MasterChef' for over 20 years - amateur, professional and 'Celebrity MasterChef' - and I think in that time I have worked with over 4,000 contestants of all different ages, all different backgrounds, all walks of life.
"And apparently now, I'm reading in the paper, there's been 13 complaints in that time.
"Now, in the newspaper, I can see the complaints coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age just from 'Celebrity MasterChef'. This isn't right.
"In over 20 years of television, can you imagine how many women, female contestants on 'MasterChef', have made sexual remarks or innuendo - can you imagine?"
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