Gregg Wallace, the once-familiar face of the BBC’s MasterChef, is now making headlines for reasons far removed from the culinary world. The presenter, who co-hosted the beloved cooking competition for two decades, is embroiled in a legal battle with the BBC and its subsidiary, BBC Studios Distribution Limited, after being sacked in July 2025 following an inquiry into historic misconduct allegations. At the heart of the dispute is Wallace’s claim that the broadcaster caused him "distress and harassment" by failing to respond in a timely and complete manner to his request for personal data—a case that’s now landed in the High Court.
Wallace’s legal claim, filed in September 2025, seeks up to £10,000 in damages. According to BBC News, Wallace alleges that the BBC and its subsidiary breached their statutory duty by not supplying all of his personal data as required by UK data protection laws. He requested information relating to his "work, contractual relations and conduct" spanning 21 years, a request he made formally on March 6, 2025. The BBC, for its part, acknowledges receiving this request but argues that the sheer scale and complexity delayed their response.
According to court documents cited by Sky News, Wallace’s barrister Lawrence Power argued that the broadcaster "wrongly redacted" information and had "unlawfully failed to supply all of the claimant’s personal data." Power contended, "By reason of the defendants failing to fully comply with the subject access requests made by the claimant for his own personal data, the defendants acted in breach of their statutory duty and in doing so caused distress and harassment to the claimant."
But the BBC’s defense, led by Jason Pobjoy KC, paints a very different picture. Pobjoy stated in documents filed at the High Court, "It is denied that the claimant has suffered any distress or harassment as a result of the responses of the BBC." He continued, "It is denied that the claimant is entitled to any damages, interest or other relief, whether as pleaded or otherwise." The broadcaster further insisted that Wallace failed to give prior notice of his intention to initiate legal proceedings, a procedural misstep in their view.
The timeline of events is telling. Wallace submitted his formal data request on March 6, 2025, but by August 7, he still hadn’t received a substantive response. The BBC did email him on that date to apologize for the delay, promising it was "taking all reasonable steps" to process the request "in as timely a manner as possible going forward." However, as of early September, Wallace’s legal team claimed he still hadn’t received the information. It wasn’t until October 7, 2025, that the BBC finally provided Wallace with a copy of his personal data, which they say he was entitled to. BBC Studios, for its part, also provided previously withheld information—except where it contained the personal data of third parties, as allowed by law.
BBC News reported that the broadcaster’s defense hinges on this eventual disclosure. Pobjoy argued, "That voluntary disclosure demonstrates that the claimant has no basis to claim damages for distress, or otherwise, in respect of the withholding of such information." The BBC maintains that its handling of the request, though delayed, was not unlawful, and that Wallace suffered no actionable harm.
The context for this legal wrangling is Wallace’s dramatic exit from MasterChef. In November 2024, it was announced he would step away from his role while a review into misconduct allegations was conducted. The independent inquiry, led by law firm Lewis Silkin and reported by BBC News, heard 83 allegations against Wallace—of which 45 were substantiated. These included one of "unwelcome physical contact," three of being "in a state of undress," and a majority relating to "inappropriate sexual language and humour." The review found that 94% of substantiated allegations concerned behavior between 2005 and 2018, with only one occurring after that period. Some allegations also involved "culturally insensitive or racist comments."
Wallace’s response to these findings was one of contrition. In a statement quoted by multiple outlets, he said, "I am deeply sorry for any distress caused. I never set out to harm or humiliate anyone." He also insisted, "None of the serious allegations against me were upheld," though the review did uphold nearly half of the complaints lodged. The fallout from the inquiry was swift: both Wallace and his co-host John Torode were dismissed from MasterChef in July 2025. (Notably, Torode also faced a substantiated claim involving a severely offensive racist term, though he stated he had "no recollection" of the incident.)
As the dust settled on the scandal, the BBC moved quickly to revamp the show, with food critic Grace Dent and chef Anna Haugh announced as the new hosts in September 2025. Yet, the legal battle between Wallace and the broadcaster has kept the controversy alive in the headlines.
The case touches on broader issues of data protection and employer responsibilities in the UK. Under current laws, organizations must respond to subject access requests within one month, though this can be extended if the request is complex. Wallace’s legal team argues that the BBC not only failed to meet this deadline but also "wrongly redacted" information and withheld data without lawful justification. The BBC, meanwhile, insists that it acted within its rights, particularly when protecting the privacy of third parties.
For many observers, the dispute is about more than just paperwork or statutory deadlines. It raises questions about how large institutions handle both internal investigations and the rights of those under scrutiny. Was the delay in processing Wallace’s data request a matter of bureaucratic backlog, or something more deliberate? Did the broadcaster’s actions amount to "distress and harassment," or is this a case of a disgraced celebrity seeking redress where none is due?
As of October 16, 2025, the BBC’s defense remains firm: "It is denied that the claimant has suffered any distress or harassment as a result of the responses of the BBC," and "it is denied that the claimant is entitled to any damages, interest or other relief." Wallace’s representatives, meanwhile, have yet to comment in detail on the latest filings.
The High Court has yet to rule on the matter, and both sides appear ready to dig in for a protracted legal fight. For Wallace, the outcome could mean vindication—or a final, costly chapter in his long association with the BBC. For the broadcaster, the case is a test of its processes, its transparency, and its willingness to defend its actions in the public eye. One thing is certain: the saga has ensured that MasterChef’s off-screen drama continues to captivate audiences, long after the cameras stopped rolling.
