Gregg Wallace has hit the headlines after stepping away from his role on MasterChef while historical allegations of inappropriate sexual comments are externally reviewed.

Wallace, 60, is best known as a judge on the long-running BBC cookery programme but worked formerly as a greengrocer.

Born in Peckham, in south-east London, the TV personality began his career in the Covent Garden fruit and vegetable market.

Masterchef presenters John Torode and Gregg Wallace
Masterchef presenters John Torode and Gregg Wallace (Anthony Devlin/PA)

He started George Allan’s Greengrocers in 1989 and has gone on to have a successful broadcasting career, presenting many shows over the years, among them Veg Talk on BBC Radio 4 with Charlie Hicks.

He was also the original presenter of the BBC show Saturday Kitchen in 2002 and has been featured on Eat Well For Less?, Inside The Factory, Turn Back Time, Harvest, and Supermarket Secrets.

He took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2014 and was the first to be booted off the show, along with his professional dance partner Aliona Vilani.

Wallace has also hosted Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals and regularly writes for food magazines.

Wallace has been open about his fitness journey over the past couple of years and started a weight-loss and health site called ShowMe.Fit as well as a healthy lifestyle podcast called A Piece Of Cake.

The TV star revealed that a doctor had cautioned him in 2017 that, thanks to high cholesterol, he was “heading for a heart attack” if he did not take action.

He has two children, Tom and Libby, from a previous relationship as well as a young son called Sid, whom he welcomed with his fourth wife Anne-Marie Sterpini in 2019.

Appearing on ITV show Lorraine the same year their son was born, Ms Sterpini said their 21-year age gap was “just a number”.

Wallace’s autobiography, Life On A Plate, was published in 2012 and Gregg’s Italian Family Cookbook, a book he co-wrote with his wife, was published in 2019.

Gregg Wallace and his wife Anne-Marie Sterpini
Gregg Wallace and his wife Anne-Marie Sterpini (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

In 2020, the TV star, who is a long-standing Wasps supporter, was among the stars backing a Premiership Rugby campaign urging its players to call vulnerable fans during lockdown.

In 2022, Wallace was made an MBE as he was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to food and charity.

The broadcaster said in a statement at the time: “From a council estate in Peckham to being recognised by the Queen is for me something akin to a fairy-tale story. I am incredibly, incredibly proud.”

His MasterChef co-presenter, John Torode, was also made an MBE in 2022, for outstanding services to food, broadcasting and charity.

Last year, Wallace said he would stop presenting Inside The Factory after seven years as he needed to focus on his son who is non-verbal and autistic.