T4K3.news

Aasmah Mir calls out sexism in MasterChef production

The presenter accuses the BBC of negligence in handling complaints about Gregg Wallace's behavior.

July 19, 2025 at 12:18 PM

Aasmah Mir: I saw first-hand how the BBC indulges its sexist men

The TV presenter reveals her experience of sexism and ineffective complaints at the BBC.

Aasmah Mir highlights sexism and negligence in MasterChef production

Aasmah Mir, a former contestant on Celebrity MasterChef, publicly addressed her complaints about Gregg Wallace and John Torode's behavior during her time on the show. Mir was shocked to learn that her written complaint about Wallace's inappropriate remark about a colleague was the first recorded by the BBC, despite numerous prior complaints. An independent report later confirmed 45 substantiated complaints against Wallace. Mir questions the BBC and the production company Banijay about their knowledge and response to such behavior.

Key Takeaways

✔️

Aasmah Mir's complaint about Gregg Wallace highlights systemic negligence at the BBC.

✔️

An independent report substantiated 45 complaints against Wallace.

✔️

The culture of silence allowed misconduct to flourish within the MasterChef production team.

✔️

Many within the BBC were aware of Wallace's behavior yet failed to act.

✔️

Banijay's response raises questions about its commitment to a safe workplace.

✔️

The issue of persistent bad behavior in TV culture remains unresolved.

"I was astonished in 2017 when I took part in Celebrity MasterChef and Gregg Wallace referred to a colleague of mine at the BBC as a 'sexy bitch'."

This highlights the unprofessional behavior Wallace exhibited publicly, normalizing disrespect towards women.

"Maybe they should have been more curious, especially as Wallace’s behaviour was apparently an open secret in the industry."

Mir questions the ignorance of the BBC regarding the complaints about Wallace, suggesting a culture of silence.

"The powers that be at the BBC appear to be saying that they didn’t know as much as they should have done about this issue before 2017."

Mir underlines the BBC's failure to address known issues of misconduct before her complaint.

"The reality is we’ll never know how many freelancers and junior staff were affected by this."

This emphasizes the broader impact of the toxic culture on vulnerable staff members in the production environment.

Mir's revelations expose a troubling environment where misconduct was overlooked for years. This culture not only affected individual staff members but also tarnished the BBC and MasterChef's reputation. The fact that many industry insiders were aware of Wallace's behavior intensifies the scandal. As Mir indicates, the question remains whether Banijay can genuinely change its culture after years of enabling such conduct.