Gregg Wallace has launched legal action against the BBC over a data protection claim, filing proceedings at the High Court, according to court documents. No further details of the claim have been made public.
A BBC spokesperson said the corporation had not been formally notified of any legal proceedings and that it was therefore unable to comment. Wallace's representatives were approached for comment. BBC News is editorially independent from the wider corporation.
Wallace was sacked in July after a report commissioned by the production company Banijay and carried out by an independent law firm upheld more than 40 allegations about his conduct on the long-running cooking show MasterChef. The inquiry, published this summer, said 45 claims against Wallace were substantiated out of 83 allegations made in total. The upheld findings included one allegation of unwelcome physical contact, three of being in a state of undress and a number relating to inappropriate sexual language and humour and culturally insensitive or racist comments.
Wallace hosted MasterChef for about 20 years before stepping away amid the complaints. Following publication of the inquiry's findings, he said none of the "serious allegations" were upheld and that, while he challenged a finding of unwanted touching, he had "had to accept a difference in perception, and I am deeply sorry for any distress caused. It was never intended." The inquiry also substantiated a separate claim that co-presenter John Torode had used a severely offensive racist term; Torode has said he has "no recollection" of the incident.
Both presenters were removed from their presenting roles. The BBC decided still to broadcast this year's series featuring amateur chefs, citing the wishes of the competitors who had taken part. Director-General Tim Davie defended that decision in evidence to MPs, saying the "vast majority" of the chefs wanted the programme to air and that the consequences for the presenters had been significant because they were no longer working with the corporation. Davie added he was "not letting anything lie" in the corporation's efforts to address abuses of power.
The vacancies left by Wallace and Torode have since been filled for the next series, with food critic Grace Dent and chef Anna Haugh announced as the new hosts.
The legal action by Wallace is a separate development from the independent inquiry. Court documents related to the filing do not yet disclose the substance of the data protection claim or the remedy sought. The BBC's statement that it had not been formally notified indicates the corporation had not received papers at the time of comment.
The filing follows a period of scrutiny over how the BBC and production partners handle allegations of misconduct. Banijay commissioned the external investigation after complaints were raised about behaviour on set, and the report's publication prompted immediate personnel changes and public statements from those involved. Any High Court proceeding will take place within the wider legal framework governing data protection and employment or contractual disputes, but no hearing dates or further procedural details have been published.
News organisations will monitor court records and official statements for updates on the claim and any subsequent responses from the BBC or Wallace's legal team.