Gregg Wallace has launched legal action against the BBC after being sacked from the baking competition MasterChef, the Daily Mail reported, as the former presenter seeks access to internal documents he says will clear his name.

The 60-year-old lodged a claim at London’s High Court, according to the report, and is seeking hundreds of pages of correspondence and records relating to the investigation that led to his dismissal. The action follows a BBC inquiry that found 45 of 83 complaints against Wallace were substantiated.

The BBC has said it has not been formally notified of any legal proceedings and, at this stage, was unable to comment, the Daily Mail said. A source quoted by The Sun told the Daily Mail that Wallace had previously been blocked from seeing paperwork about the inquiry and that obtaining the documents was the first step toward deciding further legal action, including a potential multi-million-pound disability claim.

Wallace stepped down from MasterChef after the BBC’s review upheld a number of complaints about his conduct. The investigation, which the broadcaster said involved 83 complaints made by 41 people, concluded that the majority of substantiated allegations related to inappropriate sexual language and humour. It also found a smaller number of upheld complaints concerning other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress, and one incident of unwelcome physical contact.

The former presenter has said he did not deny some of the claims but that aspects of his behaviour had been "perceived incorrectly." Wallace told the Sun he had worked with around 4,000 people and that roughly 0.5% had made complaints. He has also said he was formally diagnosed with autism in January and has argued that the BBC failed to investigate or accommodate his neurodiversity during his two decades on the show.

"My neurodiversity, now formally diagnosed as autism, was suspected and discussed by colleagues across countless seasons of MasterChef," Wallace said in a statement reported by media outlets. "Yet nothing was done to investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over 20 years. That failure is now being quietly buried."

The BBC’s wider handling of talent conduct has come under scrutiny in recent months. Director-General Tim Davie acknowledged at a separate appearance that the corporation "may see more things coming out" when asked whether the organisation could guarantee there would not be another scandal involving talent abusing their position. The MasterChef investigation also led to the departure of co-presenter John Torode, who lost his role after allegations he used the N-word.

Wallace’s legal move aims to obtain material he and his legal team believe will demonstrate procedural flaws or other matters that could assist his defence and possible claims for compensation. The Daily Mail report said Wallace hoped the records would help him recover what he described as lost earnings.

A spokesman for Wallace did not immediately respond to requests for comment made through news organisations. The BBC reiterated it had not received formal notification of legal proceedings and therefore could not comment further.

Legal experts say that when a former employee seeks internal documents in a dispute with a broadcaster, the High Court can order disclosure of relevant material if the claim proceeds. Any subsequent disability discrimination claim would likely turn on whether the employer knew of the disability, whether reasonable adjustments were offered, and whether any failure in those duties caused detriment.

The case comes amid heightened attention to workplace behaviour and broadcaster oversight across British television, where recent investigations and departures have prompted calls for clearer policies and stronger safeguards. Wallace’s action is likely to draw further media scrutiny as it progresses through the courts and as the parties determine what information will be disclosed and relied upon during hearings.