Is sexism getting worse? The BBC has withdrawn two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials after widespread backlash against the “inappropriate behaviour” of presenter Gregg Wallace.
BBC bows to pressure over Wallace
Is sexism getting worse? The BBC has withdrawn two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials after widespread backlash against the "inappropriate behaviour" of presenter Gregg Wallace.
What's happening?
MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace has joined a fast-growing list of well-known men accused of sexual misconductUnacceptable or improper behaviour. towards women. A number of allegations against Wallace dating back almost two decades refer to sexually explicit and inappropriate remarks directed at colleagues and contestants.
The presenter Kirstie Allsopp of Channel 4 is one of 13 people who have accused him of inappropriate remarks, including talking openly about sex and appearing to touch a woman intimately without her permission.
Wallace then dismissed his accusers, calling them "middle-class women of a certain age." He was widely criticised for the remark, which many saw as an example of casual sexism.
Wallace then issued an apology for the comment, adding that he would now "take some time out." His lawyers stated that "it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature".
"The Gregg Wallace debacleA complete failure, often deserving ridicule. shows that lad cultureLad culture is a term used to describe a set of behaviours, attitudes, and practices that are often associated with young heterosexual men. is over," declared a headline in the London Evening Standard.
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Is sexism getting worse?
Yes! That Gregg Wallace called his accusers "middle-class women of a certain age" proves that sexism is certainly getting worse.
No! If anything, this incident shows that we have a zero-tolerance attitude towards sexism. Gregg Wallace has been forced to apologise and his career has been effectively put on hold.
Keywords
Misconduct - Unacceptable or improper behaviour.
Debacle - A complete failure, often deserving ridicule.
Lad Culture - Lad culture is a term used to describe a set of behaviours, attitudes, and practices that are often associated with young heterosexual men.
BBC bows to pressure over Wallace
Glossary
Misconduct - Unacceptable or improper behaviour.
Debacle - A complete failure, often deserving ridicule.
Lad Culture - Lad culture is a term used to describe a set of behaviours, attitudes, and practices that are often associated with young heterosexual men.