Hoping that Greg Wallace is forgiven, rather than cancelled

[Toodaloo1567]

Just a few concerns about this whole GW thing. Caveat: I do not condone behaviour that is illegal.

1. It does kind of look like a whole bunch of privileged TV luvvies are clamouring to denounce someone with really quite humble roots. I grew up in London and am constantly paranoid about how I come across to my mainly middle class colleagues. The thing is, middle class and privileged people operate by a set of unwritten rules. It’s like a full time job in itself trying to emulate their way of interacting, lest you be called out for not being ‘nice’ enough or doing something odd to them, like forgetting to start an email with ‘Hope you are well?’. Only, they won’t let you know to your face that you’ve accidentally been too sharp or direct, or maybe that your joke wasn’t woke enough - no, that stuff just goes straight to HR.
2. The equality act 2010 makes it the employer’s responsibility to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Why wasn’t all this lewd stuff dealt with? GW said that no one had made a formal complaint. Again, it makes me wonder whether the middle class luvvies just didn’t want to call things out at the time because it’s ‘beneath’ them to even consider doing something about it.
3. Even though he’s apologised, the public doesn’t think that’s good enough. It’s like only perfect people get to keep their careers. Woe betide you if you said something crass on twitter 10 years ago, or got caught speeding or something.

Of course, lots of you would want to shout me down over this, but you know what? We’re all mums here and many of us have sons. Boys and young men do and say crass things. GW hasn’t raped or systematically abused anyone. It doesn’t make what’s happened right, but I also don’t think it’s right that swarms of pitch-fork waving strangers get to play judge, jury and executioner. I’m a big fan of forgiveness. Am I the only one?

Stop making excuses for him@Toodaloo1567 He's a knob and a creep and deserves everything he gets.

Oh dear
do you know what he’s actually accused of?
Or that only 1 complaint (so far) is from Celebrity MC.

Okay.. so I think his jokes were ‘off’. I think he’s a twat. His comments about the women shows what a horrid attitude he has.

I am not sure the response is proportional.

And that’s what worries me about the situation.

I hope you don’t have daughters.

And if you think this is just ‘silly boys’ behaviour, I hope you don’t have sons too.

Working class here.

My dad, brothers, sons and husband have managed to avoid making lewd comments to women because you know, they were brought up to respect women.

Maybe you need to raise your bar and look at the men in your family

While it was verbal comments, I was prepared to see this as a just another man who had grown up in a different age and hadn't recognised the change in what is acceptable.

But the moment the stories of physical abuse, groping and showing his groin emerged, my view is he's just one more dirty, sleazy, ignorant old creep who doesn't deserve to be on our screens.

What are these unwritten rules are that have required you colleagues to go to HR about you? Do you mean that rather than saying “I hope you are well?” you said “I’ve got an enormous cock and my girlfriend rode it like a donkey this morning before we went on air. I’ve destroyed her she can barely walk.”

How on earth are you to know that discussing your sex life in a work meeting with a stranger, is too sharp or direct for a bunch of old middle-class women? It’s political correctness gone mad obviously.

Seriously I don’t think any of us are perfect and we’re all capable of learning. However, this is repeated pattern by someone who recieved professional warnings and advice about his behaviour. He doesn’t believe he has done anything wrong and like you has attacked people who object to his behaviour and tried to imply it’s snobbery. There are also accusations now of unwanted touching - are you going to say that is a working class tradition too?

How can what he’s done be equated with not writing “I hope you are well” at the top of an email. What he did was grope women’s arses, make endless innuendo and tell women about his wife’s sex acts. It’s not the fucking same.

I never watch anything with him in either. Arrogant prick. He’s not sexually abused anyone we know of though, has he?

Agreed. Class is irrelevant here. It just gets worse and worse.

Having said that, out of respect for the Professional Masterchef contestants, I really hope we do get to see the last few episodes of this series. I am a long-term fan of Masterchef, despite GW, not because of him.

The allegations that are now coming out are unforgivable...it's not just a bit of pfnarr phnarr. Groping people and showing his cock is not on. If those are are true he needs to be fired.

That noone ever turned round and smacked him for his behaviour is besides the point.

To be forgiven, you must be penitent. He does not appear to be so...

BBC says only one complaint(at that point) was from Celebrity MC.
Shocker - he’s a liar too.

We’re all mums here and many of us have sons. Boys and young men do and say crass things.

If either of my two sons, or either of the nephews I've been in a parental role for, behaved like him the first person in line to take them to task for their behaviour would be me.

This isn't a few crass comments ffs. It's long term disgusting behaviour.

My standards for the boys and men in my life is way beyond this level of behaviour, as it should be for you and yours.

I absolutely agree with you OP. The way people are so quick to pour hate on someone and ruin their lives is very upsetting to me. There is no forgiveness and no understanding of where he is coming from. His statement was ill advised (or rather, not advised) but clearly came from a place of anger and upset. I feel very sorry for him, and his family/children. I hope they are ok, knowing what we know about how suicide is a very real threat when people are hounded by the media.

I am slightly surprised that Kirsty Wark and Kirsty Allsopp didn’t use their status to call him out. Everyone puts up with this sleaze ball. I’ve called out men decades ago and I’m amazed no one saw through their complaints. I’m afraid women do have to stand up to this behaviour if they too are in a position of power. For young employees it’s different. GW is insufferable and full of himself. What this saga really shows is that no one stands up to this behaviour at the time.

What I want to know - is it illegal to make a rude joke or inuendo?

There is a place for forgiveness, of course, but the individual has to show that they've learnt from their mistakes, and also have regrets. No sign of that so far with GW. Also, hecis most definitely old enough to know how to behave at work - he's not a naive young lad.

Even if it were “only” jokes that were off, this is exactly how misogyny is perpetuated in society. These seemingly small micro aggressions are brushed off and accepted - GW apologises, is back on Masterchef and all is forgiven because it was just his sense humour? No fucking way.

Working class man here, (so not a mum last time I've checked). Somehow I've managed to get through life without sexually harassing women at work.

The knobhead deserves everything he gets.

Yes, alleged on tonight's BBC news that he groped one woman's bum, deliberately let his trousers drop to a point where part of his penis was visible and pointed out that he had no pants on, etc. All targeted at young freelancers who could say nothing for fear of losing their jobs and finding themselves blacklisted. Utterly despicable behaviour, if true.

@Toodaloo1567

So you'd be okay with a middle aged coworker asking your daughter if she "put her finger up her boyfriend's ass during sex"? He's a pig.

When she started fastening his bow tie, she says she noticed his trousers were "partially lowered". She did not see how this happened. "His pubic hair was on show, where you can see the top part of his penis, and he was wearing no boxers underneath."

@Toodaloo1567 So do you think this is ok?

What utter nonsense.
Apart from anything else, how can you really feel inclined to forgive someone who isn't even bloody sorry?! He blames, instead of himself, middle class women of a certain age - i.e. the victims.
'The thing is, middle class and privileged people operate by a set of unwritten rules.'
Yes that bit's correct - if you substitute 'people' by 'men'. Men who think their job gives them some elevated status that allows to treat women with zero respect.
It's decent human behaviour to treat everyone with respect. End of.

Here we go. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgj64237v6zo

another says he pressed his crotch against her while filming on a different show.