Gregg Wallace

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Gregg Wallace

MBE
Gregg Wallace Masterchef Live 2010.jpg
Wallace judging at MasterChef Live in 2010
Born (1964-10-17) 17 October 1964 (age 58)
Peckham, London, England
OccupationBroadcaster, entrepreneur, media personality, writer
Years active2002–present
EmployerBBC
Television
Spouses
Christine
​
​
(m. 1991; div. 1991)​
Denise
​
​
(m. 1999; div. 2004)​
Heidi
​
​
(m. 2011; div. 2012)​
Anne Marie
​
(m. 2016)​
Children3
Websitegreggwallace.com

Gregg Allan Wallace MBE (born 17 October 1964[1]) is an English broadcaster, entrepreneur, media personality, writer and former greengrocer. He is known for co-presenting MasterChef, Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals, alongside celebrity chef John Torode, on BBC One and BBC Two. He has jokingly referred to himself as "just the fat, bald bloke on MasterChef who likes pudding".[2] He has written regularly for Good Food, Now and Olive magazines.

Early life and business career

Wallace was born on 17 October 1964 in Peckham, South London.[3] At the age of eight, he was a victim of sexual abuse.[4] He left school at 15 and started work as a warehouseman at Covent Garden Fruit and Veg Market. He sold vegetables at a stand in Covent Garden, before becoming a salesman. He was later told that setting up a business might be a good idea. In 1989, he started George Allan's Greengrocers, a company that built up to an eventual turnover of £7.5 million.[5] In 2010, Wallace opened the restaurant Wallace & Co in the London district of Putney, where he served as one of the directors.

In 2012, he opened Gregg's Bar & Grill in a joint venture with the Bermondsey Square Hotel in Bermondsey Square. In August 2013, it was reported that one of Wallace's companies, West Veg Limited, had folded, owing more than £500,000.[6] In 2014, both of his restaurants folded, with Wallace & Co owing suppliers £150,000.[citation needed]

Television career

Wallace (right) with John Torode at MasterChef Live in 2009

Wallace was invited to co-present Veg Talk on BBC Radio 4 with Charlie Hicks. The programme aired for seven years.

Wallace was the original presenter of Saturday Kitchen from 2002 until being replaced by Antony Worrall Thompson in 2003.[7] Wallace also presented Veg Out for the Discovery Channel, and Follow That Tomato for The Food Channel, resulting in a Royal Television Society award for Best Lifestyle Programme in 2003.

In 2008 and 2009, Wallace presented two editions of The Money Programme on the effect that the financial crisis was having on the public's attitudes towards food.[8][9] In August 2013, Wallace presented Supermarket Secrets, a BBC One programme about supermarket food sourcing and distribution, and in September 2013, he co-presented Harvest 2013, a three-part documentary following the progress of Britain's vegetable, cereal and fruit harvests.

In 2013, Wallace started to co-present Eat Well for Less? alongside Chris Bavin for BBC One and since 5 May 2015 he has co-presented Inside the Factory, alongside Cherry Healey and Ruth Goodman for BBC Two.

In 2016, Wallace was the presenter of a revived series of the BBC historical game show Time Commanders, appearing alongside the likes of historians Mike Loades and Dr Lynette Nusbacher.

In December 2019, Wallace presented a Channel 5 documentary called Gregg Wallace's Magical Christmas Market, filmed in Vienna, Austria.[10][11][12][13] In April 2020, Channel 5 scheduled a follow-up series to his Magical Christmas Market called Gregg Wallace's Fun Weekends, but it was pulled because it featured cities badly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.[14][15] [16] The four-part travel series was finally transmitted in February 2021 as Big Weekends with Gregg Wallace (also known as Gregg Wallace: Big Weekends Away) with the first episode being about Barcelona.[17][18][19][20]

Also in February 2021, Wallace presented a six-part ITV series called South Africa with Gregg Wallace.[21] In the series, he experienced some of the country's most iconic landscapes and experiences, seeing Isandlwana, the Augrabies Falls, Durban and the Orange River.[22]

In this month it was reported that Kimberly Walsh from Girls Aloud was likely to replace Wallace as presenter of Eat Well For Less, after Wallace left the show after eight years.[23][24][25]

In December 2021, Wallace presented two Channel 5 Christmas specials: Gregg Wallace's Grand Christmas Adventure and Gregg Wallace's Magical Christmas Market.[26][27]

MasterChef

Since 2005, Wallace has been co-presenter and judge of BBC cooking show MasterChef, with John Torode. On the show, Wallace is known for his dramatic presenting style, characterised by shouted delivery and impassioned facial expressions.[28]

He was the main voice in the 2013 YouTube viral video "Buttery Biscuit Base", formally known as "MasterChef Synesthesia", in which his voice was taken from a number of episodes of MasterChef and used to create a song. Since its upload, the original video by Swedemason has garnered over 10 million views.

In March 2018, Wallace refused to judge Zaleha Kadir Olpin's dish on MasterChef, claiming that the stewed chicken rendang dish was "not crispy enough and could not be eaten".[29] This remark caused a significant media and public backlash in some prominent members of the ASEAN countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei, who claimed that rendang is a "stewed, soft and tender dish: not intended to be crispy".[30]

Guest appearances

In 2007, Wallace appeared in the BBC singing contest Just the Two of Us where he partnered with professional singer Carol Decker. The duo were the first to be eliminated.

In 2010, Wallace appeared in the BBC One series Turn Back Time: The High Street with Tom Herbert and Juliet Gardiner.

On 27 January 2012, he appeared in an episode of Room 101 on BBC One.

In August 2012, Wallace was the subject of an edition of the BBC One's Who Do You Think You Are? celebrity genealogical programme.[31]

In 2014, Wallace appeared as a guest panellist on the BBC Two programme An Extra Slice.[32]

In 2017, Wallace appeared as a contestant in Series 7 of the ITV quiz show The Chase Celebrity Special.[33]

In 2019, Wallace appeared as a contestant on Celebrity Catchphrase.[34]

In 2021, Wallace appeared as a contestant on the third series of The Chase spin off, Beat the Chasers.[35]

In 2021, Wallace appeared as a celebrity expert on the Christmas special of The Wheel.[36]

Strictly Come Dancing

Main article: Strictly Come Dancing

In September 2014 Wallace was a contestant on the twelfth series of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with professional Aliona Vilani. In the first week Wallace danced a Cha-cha-cha to Katy Perry's "Hot n Cold". During the judges' comments, Wallace joked about the lack of success shown by Craig Revel Horwood in a previous series of Celebrity Masterchef. He left the show in the second week, after the first public vote, when the Waltz danced by Jennifer Gibney and Tristan MacManus was preferred by the judges to Vilani and Wallace's Charleston.[37]

Personal life

Wallace has been married four times and divorced three times. His first wife Christine left him after just six weeks of marriage in 1991. Wallace has two children (Tom and Libby) from his second marriage to Denise, a former pastry chef, in 1999. The couple separated in 2004 and Wallace won full custody of their children. Wallace met his third wife Heidi in 2009 and the couple married in 2010. They separated after 15 months of marriage, and later divorced.

Wallace met Anne-Marie Sterpini, 21 years his junior, on Twitter in 2013 and they married in August 2016. Masterchef co-host John Torode served as best man at the wedding at Hever Castle, Kent. Sterpini gave birth to their first child, Sid, in May 2019. Wallace publicly expressed his fears of being an "old parent" but said that he wouldn't mind the idea of having more children.[38][citation needed]

In 2013 Wallace underwent a weight loss programme after being told that his cholesterol level was dangerously high and that he risked a heart attack. Wallace lost 3 stone (42 lb; 19 kg).[citation needed]

Wallace was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to food and charity.[39][40]

Bibliography

  • Veg: The Greengrocer's Cookbook. Mitchell Beazley. 2006. ISBN 9781845332242
  • A Cook's Year: How to Choose and Cook with Great Ingredients. Mitchell Beazley. 2008. ISBN 9781845333270
  • Veg: The Cookbook. Octopus Publishing Group. 2009. ISBN 9781845334536
  • Gregg's Favourite Puddings. Octopus Publishing Group. 2010. ISBN 9780600621430
  • Great British Food Revival: The Revolution Continues: 16 Celebrated Chefs Create Mouth-watering Recipes with the UK's Finest Ingredients. Orion Publishing Group. 2011. ISBN 9780297867678
  • Life on a Plate: The Autobiography. Orion Publishing Group. 2012. ISBN 9781409139218
  • Gregg's Italian Family Cookbook. Octopus Books. 2019. ISBN 9781784725914

References

  1. ^ "The 5-minute Interview: Gregg Wallace, food expert and TV presenter". The Independent. 21 June 2008. Archived from the original on 22 June 2008.
  2. ^ Manenti, Kyla (21 January 2011). "Gregg Wallace: the bald, fat bloke on Masterchef". iVillage UK. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011.
  3. ^ "Biography". Gregg Wallace. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  4. ^ "Gregg Wallace talks about being sexually abused as a child: 'You feel guilty. But you have to speak up'". Loose Women. ITV. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Gregg Wallace". Personally Speaking Bureau. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  6. ^ "'Masterchef' Judge Gregg Wallace's Company Folded '£500,000 In Debt'". huffingtonpost.co.uk. Archived from the original on 30 August 2013.
  7. ^ BBC – Food – TV and radio Archived 14 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Lueck, Marianne (20 November 2008). "Pinch helps discount supermarkets". BBC News. Archived from the original on 25 January 2009.
  9. ^ Farnham, Jacqui (29 June 2009). "Recession bites into eating habits". BBC News. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012.
  10. ^ "Gregg Wallace's Magical Christmas Market". Radio Times. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  11. ^ Hyland, Ian (18 December 2019). "Gregg Wallace's Magical Christmas Market, C5". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  12. ^ "Gregg Wallace's Magical Christmas Market". channel5.com.
  13. ^ "Gregg Wallace's Magical Christmas Markets". Trakt. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Gregg Wallace: Roughing it for me is staying in a hotel with slow room service". The Irish News. 28 March 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Gregg Wallace's new TV show pulled from schedule amid coronavirus pandemic". eveningexpress.co.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  16. ^ "Gregg Wallace's Fun Weekend". channel5.com.
  17. ^ Mangan, Lucy (12 February 2021). "Gregg Wallace: Big Weekends Away review – TV's shoutiest tour guide". The Guardian.
  18. ^ Donnelly, Luke (14 February 2021). "Gregg Wallace's new Channel 5 travel show Big Weekends Away divides viewers". Kent Live.
  19. ^ Ingate, Kathryn; MacDougall, Lauren (10 February 2021). "Gregg Wallace announces air date for Channel 5 show which was pushed back due to being 'inappropriate'". Kent Live.
  20. ^ "Gregg Wallace's Big Weekend Away". channel5.com.
  21. ^ "South Africa with Gregg Wallace". itv.com.
  22. ^ "South Africa With Gregg Wallace". itv.co.uk. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  23. ^ Glass, Jamie (4 February 2021). "Girls Aloud star 'favourite' to replace Gregg Wallace on Eat Well For Less". FM104.
  24. ^ "Kimberley Walsh and Ashley Banjo 'frontrunners to replace Gregg Wallace on Eat Well For Less'". list.co.uk. 4 February 2021.
  25. ^ "Kimberley Walsh and Ashley Banjo 'frontrunners to replace Gregg Wallace on Eat Well For Less'". MSN. 4 February 2021.
  26. ^ "Gregg Wallace's Grand Christmas Adventure". channel5.com. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  27. ^ "Gregg Wallace's Magical Christmas Market". channel5.com. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  28. ^ Duff, Seamus (8 November 2016). "Masterchef: The Professionals fans distracted by 'shouting' and face pulling Gregg Wallace as show returns". Metro.
  29. ^ Chen, Heather (3 April 2018). "Malaysians roast MasterChef over chicken rendang elimination". BBC News. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  30. ^ Four Nations Unite Against Masterchef UK Judge over Rendangate, The Star Online, 3 April 2018.
  31. ^ "Who Do You Think You Are?, Series 9, Gregg Wallace". BBC One. BBC. 22 August 2012. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  32. ^ Elliott, David (8 August 2014). "The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice on BBC2 tonight with Jo Brand, Gregg Wallace, Paul Rankin & Roisin Conaty". Scunthorpe Telegraph. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  33. ^ ""Celebrity Chase" Episode #7.7 (TV Episode 2017)". IMDb. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  34. ^ ""Celebrity Catchphrase" Penny Lancaster, Richard Osman and Gregg Wallace". IMDb. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  35. ^ "Beat The Chasers - Celebrity Special Episode 2". Press Centre. ITV. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  36. ^ "Michael McIntyre's The Wheel, Series 2, Christmas Special". BBC One. BBC. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  37. ^ Dowell, Ben (5 October 2014). "Strictly Come Dancing 2014: Gregg Wallace is first celebrity to leave the show". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  38. ^ Nolan, C (8 August 2016) Anne-Marie and Greg's wedding Archived 20 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  39. ^ "No. 63714". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 2022. p. B25.
  40. ^ "Queen's Birthday Honours 2022" (PDF). GOV.UK. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.

External links

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