Carol Vorderman has spoken out against the toxic work environment on TV and revealed she was kicked off a show after speaking out.
The former face of Countdown, 63, addressed the recent allegations against Gregg Wallace and suggested they were just the tip of the iceberg in an industry with long-standing problems.
Talking to him MirrorHe said: ‘It’s about keeping people down, especially women. And it’s not just Gregg Wallace. This type of behavior is widespread and has been going on for years.’
She then shared that after filing a complaint about inappropriate behavior on set, she found herself isolated and kicked out.
Carol commented: ‘I have made complaints, you may not be surprised to hear, about a number of people. Well, obviously they fire me.
“But even in the last few years, I can’t say what show it was, I complained about someone and after that I never showed up again. It still happens today.”
Carol Vorderman has spoken out against the toxic work environment on TV and revealed she was kicked off a show after speaking out.
The former face of Countdown, 63, addressed the recent allegations against Gregg Wallace (pictured) and suggested they were just the tip of the iceberg in an industry with long-standing problems.
Gregg, 60, announced on Thursday that he was stepping away from MasterChef after almost 20 years while an investigation into his alleged misconduct takes place.
Last week he faced allegations of inappropriate behavior from 13 people, including Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, over a 17-year period across five shows from 2005 to 2022.
Gregg faces accusations that he told a junior colleague that he was not wearing boxers under his jeans, entered the studio naked except for a sock on his penis and imitated a sex act with a producer when she knelt to clean his pants.
The latest allegations include one woman who said he touched her, another who claimed he pressed her crotch while filming the BBC show Eat Well For Less and a third who alleged he flashed her at her in his dressing room.
Despite this, Gregg remains desperate to repair his reputation and the investigation’s findings are critical if he is to continue appearing on screen.
He is likely to raise the possibility that he has autism to Lewis Silkin, the London law firm hired by Banijay. The Telegraph reported on the suggestion that he may never return to the BBC.
The friend said: ‘Gregg has many of the symptoms of autism, the people who know him best have been saying this for years.
“He has never been formally examined, due to a feeling of responsibility for Sid’s diagnosis, but he really should be, as it may explain a lot about his actions.
Carol shared that after making a complaint about inappropriate behavior on set, she found herself isolated and kicked out.
Gregg (right), 60, announced on Thursday that he will step away from MasterChef after almost 20 years while an investigation into his alleged misconduct takes place.
‘Gregg is shaped by his inability to read the room, saying things that don’t really belong in the moment. He has no filter and in social situations that can become dangerous, especially when it comes to jokes about sex.
‘He has a light filter when it comes to sex, which is common for people on the spectrum. In the modern world of television, where some of his actions cannot be dismissed as pranks.
It comes as BBC bosses, under fire, said the MasterChef Christmas specials would be pulled in a major U-turn, having previously said they would continue to broadcast all filmed episodes.
Last year, Gregg was named an ambassador for the charity Ambitious About Autism and has also been praised for raising awareness of the condition by documenting Sid’s journey to his followers on social media.
However, in February this year, he received backlash after an interview with the Daily Telegraph went viral after Gregg claimed he spent more time playing computer games than interacting with Sid during an article described as his typical Saturday. at home.
Gregg broke his silence on Thursday after officially resigning from his position and thanked his fans for their support.
The BBC claims Gregg walked away from MasterChef after BBC News sent a letter to his agent a week ago on Tuesday, setting out the allegations and giving him the right to reply.
They say he was warned after a complaint was made in 2018, but during the summer of 2024 new historic claims emerged.
Gregg has denied behavior of a sexually harassing nature.
Gregg is “committed to cooperating fully throughout the process,” said the show’s producer, Banijay UK.
Restaurant critic William Sitwell defended Wallace on Friday, revealing in the Daily Telegraph that his friend “is always genuinely interested in the welfare of the people around him.”
‘The health, wealth or anything else, of those you work with, your friends and a very wide circle of acquaintances. And he is equally open about his own life, sometimes extraordinarily so.’
In addition, he also said that he tells jokes “as if he were directing a Bernard Manning comedy.”
Gregg has denied any behavior of a sexually harassing nature.