Former Celebrity MasterChef finalist Vicky Pattison has expressed her support for Gregg Wallace after the long-standing MasterChef presenter claimed he was “fired” by the BBC and left vulnerable in what he described as a “dangerous environment”. The Geordie Shore star, 36, who finished as runner-up in the show’s 2019 celebrity series, was one of the few high-profile figures to publicly back Wallace, having liked his explosive post on Instagram earlier today.

Wallace, 60, criticised the public broadcaster in a scathing post, hours after reports emerged that he had been dismissed from the popular cooking competition following a year-long investigation into alleged misconduct behind the scenes. “I can no longer sit in silence while my reputation is further damaged to protect others,” Wallace stated, as he claimed that the official investigation by legal firm Lewis Silkin had “exonerated” him of the most serious allegations, including “groping,” which made headlines last year.

In an unexpected rant about his former employer, Wallace alleged: “The BBC is no longer providing balanced and impartial public service journalism. It is peddling baseless and sensationalised gossip masquerading as properly corroborated stories.”

The BBC, meanwhile, said it would only release a short executive summary of the investigation’s findings, which Wallace slammed as “deeply concerning”.

He continued: “Others who have been found guilty of serious allegations have been erased from the published version of the events. I, and I’m sure the public, would like to know why…I will not go quietly.”

While Wallace’s TV future remains uncertain, support among his celebrity colleagues has been notably thin, making Pattison’s subtle support all the more noticeable.

The BBC has responded to the claims from Wallace by stating: “Banijay UK instructed the law firm Lewis Silkin to run an investigation into allegations against Gregg Wallace. We are not going to comment until the investigation is complete and the findings are published.”

Banijay will be releasing the report on Thursday, and the BBC has stated that they did not fire Wallace, as the corporation does not employ him; he was employed by Banijay.

Wallace left MasterChef in November last year when 13 people accused him of making inappropriate sexual comments. While the majority said he made inappropriate sexual comments, 11 women have accused him of inappropriate sexual behaviour, such as groping and touching.