Gregg Wallace responds with “A handful of comments from middle class women of a certain age”

[Conniebygaslight]

Just heard his comments on the news….unbelievable.

He's the lead story on Sky News - I'm sure there's a lot more important things going on

It depends on the terms of the contracts of how these things are arranged I suppose and
I don’t know enough about it, but it’s interesting that these accusations have filtered through from several tv production companies, over a number of years. So it must have been known about in the industry in general and therefore I assume the BBC must have known too?

I am a BBC supporter btw. I think the institution does a lot for tolerance in the UK. But it undermines its own values and credibility if it stands silently by and allows this sort of situation to go on without acting and taking responsibility: on Strictly, on Masterchef, or in Huw Edwards situations.

‘It’s not confined to the Beeb either. We’ve had Philip Schofield on ITV and I am sure a lot of these production companies share personnel and crews.

No chance!

I'm far to old. And far too 'woman of a certain age' for him to cope with.

And I have a braincell. And taste.

A friend of mine works in a factory that had an episode of 'inside the factory ' filmed there. She told me at the time (about 18 months ago) that he was vile and kept making lewd and suggestive comments to the young girls working there.

I have never liked him, can't stand Masterchef. I remember he used to have food a program on radio 4 years ago. Couldn't stand him on that either.

Although apparently he keeps his wife to play the role of fun girlfriend and keeps her mum to do the childcare so the wife has the energy to play fun girlfriend.

If you watch a lot of those shows, it is really striking to me how unbalanced it is in terms of who wins, and although it is supposed to all be about output, I have always been sure that misogyny is part of it.

@Hotflushesandchilblains So it's not just me then! I wonder whether the team commissioning the production company ever question how fair the process is.

Do you think Greg has been given far too much oxygen of publicity? Would it have been better for people not to comment on his ridiculous Instagram post and allow the statement to sink him without comment? I am saying this because we even have number 10 commenting on his remarks and surely the government have more important things to consider. By publicising Greg's remarks surely it has sparked a distracting debate about prudish middle class educated middle age women with no sense of humour which has hit a nerve amongst a lot of women and maybe that was the intent? A lot of middle females in the media do not want to enter into an unexciting debate about 'middle aged women of a certain age' because many are that and probably are deeply offended yet professionally can't express their views fully.

unedifying not unexciting

Oh, hello again, mids, with your theoretical pondering and Devil’s advocacy.

Did you also catch Radio 4 Woman’s’ Hour on the subject? Never heard such a lot of moaning snowflakes!

Yawn.

I can't answer for this poster, but would assume he doesn't literally wave his willy about.

It's an oft used expression to describe men who brag, IE my car's bigger, loadsa money, fancier holidays, kids go to private school, I've got bigger more expensive better everything than anyone else..

And the two middle aged white doughy sports presenters (skulked off to the middle east to carry on their good work) and the tennis commentator.... Can't remember any of their names...

No.

Am really not seeing the debate of which you speak. Prudish is a word that you've introduced.

I've just read the personal life part of his wiki page (took one for the team) and, apart from listing his four brief marriages, he's also a self-confessed football hooligan too. So that's nice.

4 marriages? Yikes 😳

What a surprise to read this misogynist 60 year old man is with a 38 year old woman now. This makes his earlier comments so much worse.

Honestly this is party why I don’t date significantly older men. I feel it just enables men like this to ignore women their own age when that’s who they should be with.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4839335/chris-evans-sexual-harassment-bbc-flash/

The nude appearances and breast groping allegations are terrible.....different middle aged male but it shows that these problems aren't isolated but some are too big to fail....

This is weird...

www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2024/02/03/my-saturday-gregg-wallace-autistic-son-weight-loss-alcohol/

There's even a line in there that's very Prince Andrew "Then I’ll review my to-do list while walking on a treadmill, no sweating"

It also says he was sexually abused aged 8. Perhaps decent counselling would have helped him deal with this rather than spreading the problem.

I read it as past an age that Greggggg finds shaggable and therefore absolutely pointless on the planet and should not make noise or take up space.

I know the conversation has moved on but I did want to comment re what happened with Kirsty Allsop.

From what I gather, GW made a comment about his sex life with his wife which shocked Allsop into silence at the time.

I think as a woman, sometimes it’s really hard to tell where the hard red line should be. And that’s because these kind of iffy comments from men are so bloody relentless.

As a one-off comment I can see why any woman might just think “creep” and not do anything further. Because it’s an off-colour remark that’s inappropriate but not especially wild or outlandish. And unfortunately it’s not uncommon, especially in the male-dominated world of TV. If you spent time investigating the background of every man who made an off-colour, misogynistic, or inappropriate remark, it would be a full-time job. So when it’s not absolutely awful, I think it’s really easy to question whether you’re just being humourless etc. As women it’s really easy to unconsciously absorb the messages that society delivers, and wealth doesn’t change that. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

I think GW’s comment re the rapist is utterly horrendous. Do I think a sleazy comment about his wife in bed is in the same league? No. Sleazy though, yes, for sure. In my previous profession (male-dominated) I would absolutely take action on the first comment but probably just roll my eyes at the second….until years later when it became known that it was part of a wider pattern of sexist, misogynistic and sleazy behaviour. And then I’d probably have kicked myself.

I wouldn’t have had time to carry out full background research on every male I encountered professionally who made a throwaway remark that was inappropriate in some way (as suggested by a PP). Because this type of shit is relentless, even if it’s not all sexual.

And would I waste my precious time and energy reporting every single comment from men that made me roll my eyes? Especially when it’s clear no action would be taken (as seen by the BBC)? No, I wouldn’t. Serious cases of extreme comments or behaviour, yes - but low-level, one-off comments? In all honesty, no. Because it happens all the time and generally, no one cares. Certainly not the men at the top.

Andy Grey, Richard Keys and John Inverdale?

100% agree, @SecretSoul

Who cares if he was a victim of SA? Literally millions of people were who didn't become misogynistic sex pests.