Ulrika Jonsson looked rather downcast as she headed out on a dog walk on Saturday after speaking out amid the Gregg Wallace scandal.
On Friday the TV presenter, 57, claimed that Gregg cried after being reprimanded for making a ‘rape joke’ that left a MasterChef contestant ‘really distressed’ and forced another off set.
Seen for the first time since her claims, the model wrapped up in a black waterproof coat and thick scarf as she took a stroll with her pet.
Appearing bare-faced, the star looked prepared for the outdoors as she completed the look with wellington boots and gloves.
Gregg, 60, stepped away from MasterChef this week after 13 people, including Newsnight host Kirsty Wark, accused him of ‘wrong’ and inappropriate ‘sexualised’ behaviour during filming.
And Ulrika, who appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2017, has claimed a female contestant was hugely upset by his ‘rape joke’ which caused another person to storm off set and complain to their bosses.
Ulrika Jonsson looked downcast while on a dog walk as she was seen for the first time on Saturday after speaking out amid the Gregg Wallace scandal
On Friday the TV presenter, 57, claimed that Gregg cried after being reprimanded for making a ‘rape joke’ that left a MasterChef contestant ‘really distressed’ and forced another off set
‘They then went off to speak to Gregg. After a while he came up…and he apologised. He could hardly get his words out. He was apologising, and he had tears in his eyes’, she said.
But she added: ‘The apology should have been to everyone. It felt like, you know, ‘don’t make the joke in the first place’ and said she ‘definitely’ felt uncomfortable on set following his joke.
Gregg has also been accused by Rod Stewart of being a ‘bully’ towards his wife Penny Lancaster.
The singer issued a furious rant at the Masterchef presenter, calling him a ‘tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully’ for ‘humiliating’ his wife when she appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021.
Meanwhile other witnesses have claimed he wandered naked through the MasterChef studio with a sock covering his penis.
A total of 13 people, complained about Wallace’s conduct while working with him over a 17-year period across five shows, from 2005 to 2022, the BBC revealed.
The presenter was accused of taking his top off in front of a female worker saying he wanted to ‘give her a fashion show’ and talking about his sex life to others, including telling one female colleague he wasn’t wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans.
The BBC presenter also allegedly made ‘racist’ remarks about an Asian MasterChef contestant on the show.
Gregg, 60, stepped away from MasterChef this week after 13 people, including Newsnight host Kirsty Wark , accused him of ‘wrong’ and inappropriate ‘sexualised’ behaviour during filming
Seen for the first time since her claims, the model wrapped up in a black waterproof coat and thick scarf as she took a stroll with her pet
She completed the look with wellington boots and gloves
Ulrika, who appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2017, has claimed a female contestant was hugely upset by his ‘rape joke’ which caused another person to storm off set and complain to their bosses
‘They then went off to speak to Gregg. After a while he came up…and he apologised. He could hardly get his words out. He was apologising, and he had tears in his eyes’, she said
According to a former staff member who worked on the production, Wallace would make the inappropriate remarks just after the contestant walked off the set, which included ‘kung fu noises’.
He also allegedly said ‘me so horny’ – as said in the film Full Metal Jacket and sampled in the 1989 2 Live Crew song of the same name.
On Friday actress and lawyer Emma Kennedy further accused him of groping a camera assistant during a 2012 photoshoot.
She is one of three people who made allegations of groping, alongside an anonymous contestant who said he put his hands on her hips and pressed into her from behind, and another who said he squeezed her backside in a pub.
In the days since the accusations emerged, Gregg has made a number of posts on social media – some of which allude to current events, and others that don’t.
On Thursday night, he posted a short video in which he thanked fans for their ‘support’, and yesterday shared a video of Bloomsburys, a ‘cafe and wellness hub’ describing itself as a ‘retreat’ hub, set to Pink Floyd‘s Bike.
He also shared a newspaper column written by William Sitwell, the Daily Telegraph’s restaurant critic, which described him as having ‘a mouth like (controversial comedian) Bernard Manning – but he’s a top bloke’.
On Saturday, the star posted his most cryptic post yet, depicting a gingerbread man in whipped cream, at the top of a glass. It was simply captioned: ‘Enjoy your weekend.’
A total of 13 people, including Kirsty Wark, complained about Wallace’s conduct while working with him over a 17-year period across five shows, from 2005 to 2022, the BBC revealed
Gregg has also been accused by Rod Stewart of being a ‘bully’ towards his wife Penny Lancaster as he called him a ‘tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully’ in a furious Instagram post
Gregg’s latest cryptic post featured a gingerbread man in whipped cream at the top of a glass, captioned: ‘Enjoy your weekend’
Banijay UK has retained top City firm Lewis Silkin to investigate the complaints.
Lewis Silkin had previously been retained by the production company to investigate allegations made about Russell Brand while he worked on Big Brother spin-off shows that were produced by the firm Endemol Shine, which Banijay purchased in 2020.
Banijay has urged anyone who wishes to raise further concerns to get in touch with the law firm via a specially created email address.
A Banijay UK spokesperson said: ‘Lewis Silkin is a major City law firm with a highly experienced specialist investigations team which has overseen a broad range of high-profile workplace investigations.
‘Banijay UK has been impressed by the firm’s rigorous, in-depth, and impartial analysis and reporting.’
They said anyone wishing to raise further concerns could contact the investigation team via [email protected].
Kirsty Wark claims that on two occasions Gregg told stories and jokes of a ‘sexualised nature’ in front of contestants and crew while filming Celebrity MasterChef in 2011. She said his gags and comments were ‘really, really in the wrong place’.
‘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 something that I really did not expect to happen’, she said.
On Thursday, Scottish broadcaster Aasmah Mir shared a picture of herself during the 2017 Celebrity MasterChef series with the cryptic message: ‘Always keep your receipts’. It is not yet known if she has also complained.
The BBC claims that Gregg walked away from MasterChef today after BBC News sent a letter to his agent on Tuesday, setting out allegations from 13 people and giving him a right of reply.
They say he was warned after a complaint was raised in 2018, but new historical claims emerged over the summer of 2024.
Gregg is ‘committed to fully cooperating throughout the process’, the show’s production company Banijay UK said.
Gregg will be on BBC One as usual on Thursday night because MasterChef: The Professionals, which is already recorded, will transmit as planned and into December. MasterChef’s Christmas specials will also still be broadcast.
On Thursday Gregg broke his silence as he thanked people for their support following accusations he mimicked a sex act and wandered into the MasterChef studio ‘completely naked’ apart from a ‘sock covering his penis’.
The Daily Telegraph says it has spoken to a witness who claims to have seen both these alleged incidents. Gregg was also ‘very touchy feely’, the newspaper quotes the witness as saying.
The grocer turned presenter is also accused of making ‘disgusting sex-related jokes’, including one about an ‘aunt’ while tasting a contestant’s dish during the show.
Taking to Instagram in a video he said: ‘I would like to thank all the people getting in touch, reach out and showing their support.
‘That’s good of you, thank you very much.’
In October Gregg vehemently denied that he had made inappropriate sexual comments towards women, declaring that he would never ‘flirt with’ or ‘hit on’ another woman and saying: ‘I didn’t say anything sexual’.
BBC News said it had been told of other allegations, including the presenter ‘talking openly about his sex life, taking his top off in front of a female worker saying he wanted to ‘give her a fashion show’, and telling a junior female colleague he was not wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans’.
MasterChef producers Banijay UK have instructed a top City firm to investigate allegations of misconduct against the Masterchef star
Banijay has not revealed the nature of the allegations.
In a statement to the PA news agency Banijay UK said: ‘This week the BBC received complaints from individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct while working with presenter Gregg Wallace on one of our shows.
‘Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company Banijay UK, we feel that it is appropriate to conduct an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate.
‘While this review is underway, Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef and is committed to fully cooperating throughout the process.
‘Banijay UK’s duty of care to staff is always a priority and our expectations regarding behaviour are made clear to both cast and crew on all productions, with multiple ways of raising concerns, including anonymously, clearly promoted on set.
‘Whilst these are historical allegations, incidences brought to our attention where these expectations are not met, are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately.’
The statement added: ‘If anyone would like to talk to us or raise any issues or concerns, then they can contact [email protected] in confidence.’
The BBC has said it takes any issues that are raised with it ‘seriously’.
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.
‘We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.
‘Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them.’
