Wallace, who – among other complaints – has been accused by former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark of making jokes of a “sexualised nature” when she was competing on Celebrity MasterChef in 2011, has previously said he resents any insinuation he was “flirting” with someone who is not his wife Anna, 37.

Gregg Wallace, who has stepped back from the BBC cooking series, has been accused of making racist remarks at the expense of an Asian chef by a former MasterChef staff member

I bet your husband’s happy with that rack.” The shock allegation has come to light after news about the telly star,