Celebrity Masterchef contestant Melanie Sykes has criticised the TV industry in the wake of the allegations made about host Gregg Wallace, saying it is up to bosses to act on unprofessional behaviour and not let one person be a “scapegoat”.
The former TV presenter and broadcaster, who rose to fame on shows including The Big Breakfast and Today With Des And Mel in the 1990s and 2000s, appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021.
She wrote about her experience on the show in her autobiography Illuminated, released in 2023, and how she decided to walk away from show business afterwards.
Pic: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
In a new clip shared on her YouTube channel, Sykes said she complained after appearing on the show, but did not want to make it formal.
Wallace, 60, faces allegations from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period, with many others sharing their experiences in the wake of the initial claims.
He has temporarily stepped down from the BBC cooking show while historical misconduct complaints are externally reviewed by producers Banijay UK. His lawyers say “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.
Sykes, 54, said she wanted to speak out to let people know what the industry is like. “Every time Gregg came over to the desk, I didn’t like him being around, really,” she said. “Because it’s all about vibrations and energy.”
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Wallace comment ‘left me crying with humiliation’
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‘If it’s just banter then why am I crying in the toilet?’
‘Stop letting one person be a scapegoat’
Sykes, who also appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2014, said the MasterChef production company was at fault “because they facilitate… what’s the word? It’s just unprofessionalism, really.
“I’ve seen unprofessionalism in many areas of that f****** industry and I’ve not exposed all and everything because I just don’t want to, it’s just so toxic, and I can’t…
“Stop letting one person be a scapegoat, which is the so-called talent, because that’s what they call you, is the one that has to carry the can all the time.
“If I had somebody misbehaving or acting unprofessionally on my production, let me tell you, they wouldn’t be on my production. I wouldn’t tolerate it. I don’t care who it is.”
Sykes said she believes alleged unprofessional behaviour is allowed to continue because “people think, well, you know, we can’t get rid of him really, because it’s such a successful show”.
She added: “I complained afterwards. I said I didn’t want to make a formal complaint because honestly, I’d spend my whole time in litigation if I did that. And I think that’s one of the reasons why people don’t go for it.”
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Stephen Fry on Wallace allegations
‘It’s not about wokeness’
Meanwhile, Stephen Fry has told Sky News that men in television must consider who may be the “victim or stereotype” at the root of their “light banter”.
“It’s just good manners, really,” he said. “Good manners have changed… and so I think we’ve all just got to realise it’s not about wokeness, it’s just about being sensitive to the atmosphere.”
After the allegations emerged, Wallace released a video dismissing his accusers as “middle-class women of a certain age“.
Following a backlash – with even Downing Street weighing in – he issued an apology on Monday, saying: “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.”
He added: “It’s obvious to me I need to take some time out now while this investigation is under way. I hope you understand and I do hope you will accept this apology.”
Read more:
What are the allegations – and what has Wallace said?
‘Middle-aged women’: An epic failure in crisis management
Fry said Wallace’s initial response was “unbelievably foolish”, and added: “Even if he felt that he’d been misunderstood himself, he could surely see that there were some women there who were truly hurt and had felt not listened to, and that he should first of all address that.”
Production company Banijay UK has appointed law firm Lewis Silkin to lead an investigation into Wallace’s alleged behaviour.
A spokesperson said the company takes the complaints “incredibly seriously” but will not comment on individual allegations while the external investigation is ongoing.
“It is important to note that MasterChef welfare processes are regularly adapted and strengthened and there are clear protocols to support both crew and contributors,” the Banijay spokesperson said. “These include multiple ways of reporting issues, including anonymously.”
In response to reports that multiple complaints had been raised with the BBC, a source for the corporation said it would not comment on individuals or any internal HR processes but that it would be “wrong to report the BBC has done nothing if or when matters have been raised with us – not least because it is already being widely reported there were interventions in both 2017 and 2018 where action was taken”.
Last week, a BBC spokesperson said that any issues raised are taken seriously and there are “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,” the spokesperson said.
Sky News has contacted representatives for Wallace for comment.