Gregg Wallace launches legal action against BBC

Gregg Wallace's case has been filed at the High Court, but no further details have been made public

Former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace is launching legal action against the BBC over a data protection claim, according to court documents.

The case has been filed at the High Court, but no further details have yet been made public.

Wallace was sacked in July after a report upheld more than 40 allegations about his conduct on MasterChef.

A BBC spokesperson said: "We have not been formally notified of any legal proceedings so at this stage we are unable to comment."

Wallace's representatives have been approached for a comment.

BBC News is editorially independent from the wider corporation.

• Gregg Wallace 'sorry' after 45 claims against him upheld

Wallace had hosted MasterChef for 20 years, but stepped away from presenting the cooking show last year after facing a string of misconduct claims.

The show's production company Banijay ordered an immediate inquiry into the allegations, which was conducted by an independent law firm.

This summer, the report revealed that 45 claims against Wallace had been substantiated, including one of unwelcome physical contact and three of being in a state of undress.

In total, the report said 83 allegations were made against the TV presenter, with the majority of the upheld claims relating to inappropriate sexual language and humour, but also culturally insensitive or racist comments.

Following that report, Wallace issued a statement to the PA news agency, saying that "none of the serious allegations against me were upheld".

"I challenged the remaining issue of unwanted touching but have had to accept a difference in perception, and I am deeply sorry for any distress caused. It was never intended."

A separate claim that his co-host John Torode had used a severely offensive racist term was also substantiated. Torode has said he has "no recollection" of the incident.

Both presenters were sacked, but the BBC decided to still broadcast this year's amateurs series of MasterChef - with both Wallace and Torode in it - for the sake of the chefs who had taken part in it.

On Tuesday, the BBC's director general Tim Davie defended that decision, saying the "vast majority" of chefs on the show wanted it to air.

But he added: "I think the consequences for the individuals who presented MasterChef have been very significant, they're no longer working with the BBC, so there are those consequences."

Speaking to MPs, he also said he was "not letting anything lie" when it came to rooting out abuses of power within the corporation.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that food critic Grace Dent and chef Anna Haugh are the new hosts of MasterChef.