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.

Hahaha Hugh has been in trouble himself so he should know.

I was trying to think about humour in general - what makes something funny as opposed to offensive - how could we explain to middle class men of a certain age and intelligence level what would be funny and what would be offensive
yeah well everyone loves a cheeky-chappie, Salt-of-the-Earth cockney greengrocer, riiiiiight? In the mould of Sid James (who was offensive then, in the 60s, but was also untouchable. And of the times. ) In the 2000s, men ought to know better - but they don't.

They still think they can get away with innuendo, groping, eyeing up, outright sexual comments and worse - because they are The BIg Men, in TV, Rich (a la Fayed - not envy) and they have control over others' careers. We all know the cheeky-chappie who thinks he's funny and everyone likes him - especially the Laydeeees, right? The topless guy next door who also seems to wear shorts all year, and looks you up and down and makes comments? Oh he's a Top Geezer, and means no harm and everyone loves him ....

So out of the '4000 people' GW has worked with over the years, only 13 (SO FAR - and they are only middle-class, middle-aged women, so worthless...) have complained? Except probably 75% of the 4000 were prob men, so thought nothing of it. And out of 1000, 13 (SO FAR) is too many! ONE woman's complaint should have been enough for an investigation.

Sickening. John Torode - by your friends shall you be known. Paul Hollywood, I reckon you're also in shit. Jeremy Clarkson - you are a shit and I don't know how you are still on TV. There's a few/several others I cannot look at when they're on TV, they creep me out so much.

He does realise that someone calling him a knobhead, bellend, twat or cunt isn’t actually sexual?

I’m looking forward to how his co-hosts respond (or don’t).

And by the way has anyone else watched his stories to see he’s been sharing the “oh you were a gentleman to me” and “my sister loved you on MC” comments to his stories. Its a complete CRINGGE

The BBC are atrocious at managing these situations. They need someone adept at managing allegations from a regulated profession leading and working with PR.

Women of a certain age have grown in time, status and voice to articulate that we do not like overt and misplaced sexualised comments in the wrong place i.e work. Old guys- don’t be talking about/ touching/ or the use of your sexual organs or other peoples sexual organs. That’s it. Not too difficult is it?

As young women they did not like it either but didn’t know how to articulate it without compromising themselves. If Kirsty Wark can’t say stfu then who can. I hope she did say it to him direct too.

Oh and not a chef, but George Clark! Creep who also should never be alone with women.

Exactly this! He actually WAS untouchable. Because he's bankable. The more people who stand up to idiots like this and call out 'banter' for what it is - intimidating misogyny - the less employable he will be. Let's make an example of him!

I honestly believe there's a difference between banter where you're both in on the joke and where one person - generally the less powerful person - is the target of the joke, either directly or by just making them uncomfortable. It's difficult to draw up a policy to distinguish between the two but in practice anyone decent knows the difference. Indeed I think even Gregggg knows the difference but enjoys seeing women feeling uncomfortable.

It's like asking someone out really. In practice a decent guy generally knows if a woman is interested. The creepy ones ignore this and use the 'you can't say anything now' pathetic argument. I'm absolutely sure Penny and Kirsty can take a joke. Funnily enough Greggg not so much if it was directed at him. Sexist misogynistic stuff no one should have to suffer it.

I love that he's digging himself in deeper.

He came to my workplace to film. He was loathed by everyone, and I do mean everyone who encountered him. I actually don't think he said anything sexually inappropriate (that I heard about anyway) but he was just downright rude and sexist.

He did a piece to camera with a woman worker, where part of the task was quite physical. When she showed what they did, he did that 'cor blimey luv, how old are ya??' crap. Without missing a beat, she replied 'I'm two years older than you Greg, same age as your mother in law I think'.

It didn't make the cut 😁

He also swanned around telling people not to be intimidated by him as 'I'm just the same as you- only difference between us is 7million' and shit like that. The whole factory thought he was an absolute prat, and to be fair, the TV crew seemed to think the same.

This is literally how power imbalance works. Those with less to lose and more life experience/professional work clout stand up and say ‘enough’ to protect those who have no voice as they need the work and are afraid to complain incase it has financial implications etc. That’s why older woman are so bloody terrifying to misogynists.

Well he’s definitely waved goodbye to his career with those remarks.

Showing ageism and misogyny is horrible anyhow.

But who does he think the target audience is for cookery shows? How will anyone who is making a such a show in future think it would be a good idea to choose someone who was happy to go public spouting this?

"Ohh, aye, us working class salt of the earth women would never take offense at sexual harrasment. We take it in the well meaning spirit it was intended. As demonstrated on the docu-drama that is Carry On Films" @biscuitandcake

😄

I await his podcast after no mainstream broadcaster will touch him. Publishing friend remarked on his lecherous behaviour years ago so the current “revelations” are not a surprise.

And equally if not more importantly - MEN, CALL THEM OUT. If Hugh thought he was a bit bawdy and went too far why didn't Hugh fucking tell him as much Man to Man? Cowards the lot of them.

When I was younger I spent a few years working in professional kitchens. Some were lovely. Many were like bear pits full of inappropriate behaviour. However, amongst the awful behaviour there was always a good guy who would take you under their wing and tell the immature aggressive idiots to wind it in. I will be forever grateful to the good guys.

I'm sad that 30 years later this behaviour still prevails. I handled it. I'm shouldn't have had to.

But in this situation. Where are the good guys? I doubt anyone wants to rock the boat or the ego of the main talent.

Considering he's not even talented, how did they not get rid of him years ago?

I always thought he looked like a horrible bully as well. The way he goes up to stressed out contestants and barks the remaining time at them/fires questions. Something about his manner is very ugly

My read of that situation is that Penny Lancaster has been making a concerted attempt to build a tv career for herself, off the back of being pretty normal and likeable. I thought she came over well on Celebrity Masterchef, despite Gregg's constant chippy jibes references to the in-house chef giving her an unfair advantage. It's not hard to imagine Rod, a confusingly working-class millionaire of a certain age++, being ready to give Gregg what for in the press, but being talked down by Penny's agent in case it made it harder to get her booked on other BBC reality shows.

For someone who'd refuse to eat a 'plate of food' if there was a single hair in it, I think Gregg's being remarkably blasé about the thirteen women who've made complaints.

Yes, GB news next..

Hugh F-W's comment was awful, really minimising Greg's behaviour. It's not bawdy, it's sexual harassment for fuck's sake.

I do like how the only person so who has defended a woman here is the man famous for the deep lyrics "All you did was wreck my bed, and in the morning kick me in the head". I was never a rod Stewart fan but might give him another listen...

I think there is a bit more to the "middle-class" comment, I've heard that the BBC are generally in awe of working class stars, with someone like Alex Scott, who isn't popular with audiences but have executives fawning over her, I imagine the same is true with Gregg Wallace, he may be unlikeable with audiences but the BBC persist with him due to his working-class Londoner background.

I think he's trying to play the class card at the BBC and hoping to gain some sympathy from middle-class executives who have such disdain for the working-class (just look at how they cover politics), and think that's how the working-class behave.

.

so many of the women in bbc are free lance so their hands are tied

Hugh F-W is another old-Etonian, who probably thinks "that's just how the working-class are". No different to all the other executives within British cultural organisations.

Absolutely. I've been in my industry for over 30 years and, so far, I've managed not to make any sexual remarks to anyone.

Probably hoping that by being an openly sexist loud mouthed twat who belongs in the BBC camp, he can follow in Jeremy Clarksons footsteps - wait a few months and get a shiny new gig on more money!! Yep. Go on you big powerful men who control TV. Find him something to reward his behaviour and keep ignoring all the ‘lessons learnt’. Met Wallace once and had to stand feet away to avoid toxic halitosis. Told him his breath stank and he needed to back off! V satisfying moment.