Gregg Wallace supported by MasterChef star Vicky Pattison after firing

Former Celebrity MasterChef star Vicky Pattison has shown support for Gregg Wallace after the fired host criticised the BBC for failing to "protect" him from a "dangerous environment". Earlier today, it was reported that the 60-year-old had been fired by MasterChef after a year-long investigation into allegations of misconduct.

The presenter posted a furious statement on Instagram, claiming that he can't sit in silence while his "reputation is further damaged to protect others". He claimed that Lewis Silkin's report into the alleged misconduct "exonerates him of all the serious allegations which made headlines last year" and that BBC News intends to platform "legally unsafe accusations" which "are not upheld by the BBC".

"The BBC is no longer providing balanced and impartial public service journalism," he said. "It is peddling baseless and sensationalised gossip masquerading as properly corroborated stories."

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Vicky Pattison appeared to show her support for Gregg's statement by liking the Instagram post - being one of the few celebrities to do so.

Vicky took part in Celebrity MasterChef's 2019 series, coming in second place. She was a runner-up to Olympic athlete Greg Rutherford.

In his statement, Gregg added that the Silkin report finds him "primarily guilty of inappropriate language between 2005 and 2018".

However, it has been claimed that Banijay - the production company which makes MasterChef - over the allegations.

"I was hired by the BBC and MasterChef as the cheeky greengrocer," he said. "A real person with warmth, character, rough edges and all. For over two decades, that authenticity was part of the brand. Now, in a sanitised world, that same personality is seen as a problem."

He ended his statement by claiming that the full report into the allegations "will never be seen" and that the BBC will publish a short Executive Summary.

"What really concerns me about the short summary is others who have been found guilty of serious allegations have been erased from the published version of events. I, and I'm sure the public, would like to know why?" he added.

The BBC said in a statement: "Banijay UK instructed the law firm Lewis Silkin to run an investigation into allegations against Gregg Wallace. We are not going to comment until the investigation is complete and the findings are published."

The Mirror understands that Banijay will be releasing the report and that the BBC did not fire Gregg Wallace as the corporation does not employ him - he was employed by Banijay.

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