Gregg Wallace quit BBC Two’s Inside the Factory after ‘offending female staff’

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Gregg Wallace reportedly quit BBC Two show Inside the Factory after ‘offending female staff’

TV presenter Gregg Wallace quit Inside the Factory after ‘offending female staff’, a source claims. The Masterchef star was originally thought to have quit the show in order to help care for his three-year old son Sid, who is autistic.

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However, an alleged incident at the Nestlé UK factory in York - where the show has been filmed on a number of occasions - is believed to have prompted the TV personality to depart the show in March.

A source told The Times that Wallace offended certain female staff members with comments about their weight during a ‘friendly’ conversation’. They said: “He was rude towards staff and continued to talk in a derogatory manner, especially to women.”

While the alleged comments were non-sexual, they were deemed ‘inappropriate’ and a complaint was lodged with Voltage TV, the production company behind the BBC Two show. The source added: “He was given a talking-to and was appalled that he had caused such offence.

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“He felt that he was just trying to be friendly, but no longer knew what the right thing to say was any more and decided to leave.”

The 58-year-old presented the show for seven years and had already filmed upcoming episodes for the factual programme. Inside the Factory saw the presenter delve into how goods are made, with past episodes featuring the process behind the likes of Jaffa Cakes, buses and ice cream.

Following his departure from the show, the BBC confirmed Wallace will continue to judge MasterChef alongside co-host John Torode. Wallace opened up about his departure from Inside the Factory on Gaby Roslin’s BBC Radio London show in March.

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Gregg WallaceGregg Wallace
Gregg Wallace | Getty Images

He described his three-year-old boy as a ‘lovely, lovely little boy’ with a “wonderful mother”, but admitted “it’s not easy”.

He went on to discuss how filming the show meant he had to spend a lot of time away from his family, adding: “As viewers know, to say I find the inside of factories fascinating is an understatement. I’ve never failed to be amazed by the scale of production, whether it’s conveyor belts full of tiny sweets or a double decker bus rolling out of the factory for the very first time.

“For me, filming the show alongside my other TV and family commitments has always been a balance and as my son Sid’s needs become more challenging, I’ve decided the time has come to hang up my hairnet.

“We’ve already filmed 12 future episodes so viewers can see me enjoying lots more factories in my hi-viz jacket for a while to come yet.”

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