Gregg Wallace apologises after backlash and says he will be taking ‘time out’

TV presenter Gregg Wallace has apologised for claiming complaints about his behaviour came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”, adding he will now “take some time out”.

The MasterChef presenter, who faces various allegations including making “inappropriate sexual jokes”, posted a video on his Instagram stories on Monday to issue an apology.

He 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 headspace 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 will accept this apology.”

It follows a backlash to the comments made on the weekend with Downing Street saying his response to the accusations was “inappropriate and misogynistic”.

The 60-year-old faces allegations from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period, as reported by BBC News on Thursday, with many others sharing their experiences in recent days.

Wallace’s lawyers say “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.