TV presenter Gregg Wallace has apologised after dismissing complaints about his behaviour as coming from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”. Facing allegations including “inappropriate sexual jokes”, the MasterChef star posted an apology video on Instagram. Labour MP Dr Rupa Huq, who sits on the Culture, Media and Sport committee welcomed the apology but urged the BBC to address the issue, stating, “bad behaviour shouldn’t continue unchecked.” Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00It's welcome that he's realised that those comments did not go down well, to put it mildly.
00:05So, yeah, I'm always one who believes in forgiveness, so I think that's very welcome.
00:13And it does speak to a culture of potential, sort of, allowing these things to go on.
00:20If it is the case that there have been warnings, that there have been previous investigations,
00:24there need to be consequences of these things.
00:27That bad behaviour shouldn't just continue unchecked.
00:30Tim Davey, the Director General, is a regular person who appears at our committee.
00:36And I think he just has to be asked, where are the robust procedures?
00:40Where are the consequences of previous warnings and investigations,
00:45if this thing just keeps recurring?
00:47You could construct a long list of broadcasters now that this seems to be happening with.
00:52And I guess in an industry like yours, there are these huge disparities that you've got these
00:58very cosseted presenters that are national treasures at one end,
01:03and then at the other, you've got your young runner,
01:06who is eager to please get a foot on the ladder, who will be scared of speaking out.
01:11I think, you know, every workplace has to have a culture where people feel they can whistleblow
01:17in confidence about these sort of issues.
01:20Because it seems to speak to a culture of tolerance and allowance,
01:23if these things are festering.
01:25But let's let the investigation do its work.