The Gregg Wallace allegations prove harassment complaints should be taken seriously

Britain is consumed by the downfall of MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace. Last week, allegations came out that Wallace had sexually harassed female workers and colleagues, telling crude jokes and making inappropriate comments.

Big names such as Kirsty Wark, Kirstie Allsopp, and Ulrika Jonsson called him out. Then came the response from Wallace, and it was really something. He called his accusers “middle class women of a certain age” and dismissed their concerns, sparking complete outrage across social media. Wallace eventually apologized for his response, but the damage was done. Now, the final nail in the coffin has come for him: new allegations have come out regarding physical abuse.

It’s safe to say that certain members of the British right-wing didn’t see this coming. Back when the allegations were “just” sexual comments, Rachel Johnson—sister of the former and not missed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson—wrote an impassioned article defending Wallace. “I don’t want to live in a country where hurty words—and not real crimes – can break careers as easily as eggs,” she oozed. But, as a lot of women know all too well, men who exert power via “hurty words” soon seek other ways to get their thrills. And that appears to be exactly what’s happened here.

Three women have spoken to the BBC about their claims against Wallace. One, named as “Lisa” said that Wallace “touched my bum with his waist and penis and laughed and said ‘oooh you liked that didn’t you'” during filming of the show Eat Well For Less. She took her complaint to a senior colleague, but was brushed off. “When you’re working your way up, your voice isn’t heard—you don’t feel like you can take on a powerful person,” she said.

Another woman, “Anna” alleged that Wallace showed her his penis after she was called into his dressing room. “His pubic hair was on show, where you can see the top part of his penis, and he was wearing no boxers underneath.” She felt it was a “power play” and the experience left her shocked. She complained, and was given the option to take her complaint further, but felt too embarrassed. “I didn’t want to be seen to be making a fuss, especially early in my career, whereas now, I have way more boundaries of what I will or won’t do,” She didn’t have to enter Wallace’s dressing room anymore, but “I was dropping the ball on my duties because I was nervous around him. Shortly after, I left.”

The third and final woman, “Sarah,” claimed that Wallace put his arm around her while saying, “go on, hold my hand, don’t you want to stand next to me” and then, while in an elevator, pulled her into a group hug with other people. While doing that, he groped her bottom. “It made me feel gross, it was horrible,” she said.

The Wallace allegations are extremely embarrassing for the BBC. Although MasterChef is actually made by the production company Banijay UK, the show and Wallace have always been associated with the BBC. It’s a scandal they can scarcely afford, especially after Huw Edwards, another major star of the outlet, plead guilty to making indecent images of children last year. To that end, the BBC are pulling the Christmas episodes of MasterChef, although the main show looks set to continue until further notice. It’s a mess, and proof that allegations of a sexual nature go much deeper than “hurty words.”