Gregg Wallace is suing the BBC and one of its subsidiaries for causing him “distress and harassment”, after being sacked from the corporation in July.
The former MasterChef presenter is claiming up to £10,000 in damages from the BBC and BBC Studios Distribution Limited, who he says failed to disclose his personal data, according to court documents.
Wallace, 60, apologised after a report, commissioned by the cooking show’s production company Banijay UK, upheld multiple historical accusations against him, largely for the use of inappropriate language and humour, but including one of “unwanted physical contact”.
Wallace suggested his recently diagnosed autism had played a part in his conduct.
John Torode and Gregg Wallace in 2008. Pic:PA
After the release of the report, the BBC said Wallace’s behaviour had failed to live up to the corporation’s values, adding, “we accept more could and should have been done sooner.”
MasterChef co-host John Torode also had an allegation that he used an “extremely offensive racist term” upheld, as part of the same investigation. Torode was also dropped from the show in July, and said he had “absolutely no recollection” of the alleged incident.
The BBC and BBC Studios have not yet filed a defence to Wallace’s claim and told Sky News they will not be commenting on ongoing legal proceedings.
In court documents, seen by the PA news agency, barrister Lawrence Power said that Wallace had requested “personal data” from the BBC and BBC Studios related to “his work, contractual relations and conduct”.
Mr Power continued that Wallace made subject access requests (SARs) to both the BBC and BBC Studios on 6 March.
Requests for access to personal data should be processed within a month, but this deadline can be extended if the information is complex, Mr Power said.
The barrister continued that on 7 August, the BBC emailed Wallace to apologise for the delay and stated they were “taking all reasonable steps” to process the request in “a timely manner as possible going forward” but said he has still not received a response.
BBC Studios is claimed to have told Wallace that it was withholding parts of his personal data due to “freedom of expression”.
‘I felt belittled by Gregg Wallace’
Mr Power said that the body had “wrongly redacted” information and had “unlawfully failed to supply all of the claimant’s personal data”.
He said: “By reason of the defendants failing to fully comply with the SARs 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.”
Mr Power said that Wallace was seeking damages for “distress, harassment and loss of amenity not exceeding £10,000”, damages under the UK General Data Protection Regulation, and interest.
Wallace is also seeking a court order that the BBC and BBC Studios comply with the subject access requests.
The BBC made the decision to air the latest series of MasterChef this summer, with Wallace and Torode still at the helm, despite both men having been fired since it was filmed.
