Penny Lancaster says Gregg Wallace body shamed women on MasterChef, recounting incidents from her 2021 appearance on the BBC cookery show in her memoir, Someone Like Me. Lancaster, 60, describes feeling unnerved from day one and says the atmosphere around the set was adverse to female contestants. Wallace was removed from MasterChef amid an investigation into alleged misconduct spanning nearly two decades. A BBC review found more than 83 allegations, with 45 upheld, including a case of unwanted physical contact. Wallace denied the most serious claims and later apologized for remarks posted on social media after the investigation became public, saying the posts reflected a smaller portion of accusers.
Lancaster details an exchange with fellow contestant and former model Melanie Sykes in 2021 in which Wallace allegedly asked, “Is it true that models don’t eat?” The remark was described by Lancaster as crass and ill-judged, underscoring concerns about body-shaming within the industry. Sykes reportedly pushed back, noting she had not modeled for 25 years. Lancaster said there was a persistent, negative energy around Wallace, and she recalled that whenever he approached her station, the interactions felt awkward. In one cited incident, Wallace clipped a flower from the top of her dish and pocketed it before angrily throwing it to the floor when she asked him to return it. She described herself as a victim of bullying and harassment, adding that his behavior left her and others unsettled. She suggested social media posts by Wallace in the days after the story broke provided additional context about his attitude toward contestants.
Wallace’s representatives were contacted for comment as the wider controversy surrounding him intensified. In November 2024, Banijay UK, the show’s production company, announced Wallace would step away from MasterChef while historical allegations were investigated. A BBC spokesman said the corporation took any issues seriously and that behavior falling below its standards would not be tolerated. The investigation described most of the allegations as dating from 2005 to 2018, with 94% of the substantiated claims falling within that period; only one allegation was substantiated after 2018. Of the substantiated incidents, examples included inappropriate language, being in a state of undress, and one case of unwanted physical contact. Wallace later issued statements expressing deep regret for distress caused and emphasized that he never set out to harm or humiliate anyone.
Lancaster, in her memoir, frames Wallace’s conduct as “a simple recipe of old-fashioned misogyny topped off with a sprinkling of ageism,” and she says her decision to come forward followed a formal process that allowed her to share her experience. She writes that, in 2025, it remains troubling that such behavior still requires public accountability and safeguarding improvements on productions. She hopes the industry learns from this episode and strengthens procedures to protect participants on future shows.
The case remains part of a broader conversation about workplace culture in television, particularly on long-running talent-led programs, where scrutiny of senior figures has intensified in recent years. Lancaster’s account adds a personal, contemporaneous dimension to the ongoing discussion about how productions address harassment, consent, and the treatment of women on set.