MASTERCHEF’S return has been pushed back as the BBC waits for the outcome of a probe into axed host Gregg Wallace.
The hit show has been dropped from the schedule as lawyers grill everyone from contestants to crew.
The cookery show, which usually airs between February and April, has been fully edited and ready to serve up on BBC One.
But bosses are holding off until they get a full report on Wallace, 60, who stepped back from the series last year after a string of allegations.
The one-time greengrocer, who denies any wrongdoing, is accused of making inappropriate comments and indulging in sexist banter with contestants.
The BBC decided against scrapping MasterChef to avoid punishing those who took part, but editing out Wallace was impossible since he tasted dishes and chatted with hopeful cooks alongside co-host John Torode.
Sources say lawyers from top firm Lewis Silkin are leading the investigation, which has dragged on for months.
Wallace himself reportedly hasn’t even given his side of the story yet.
Chef Anna Haugh stepped in for the final filming days after the scandal erupted, while food critic Grace Dent joined Celebrity MasterChef in January.
It’s unclear whether she’s being lined up as Wallace’s permanent replacement — or if Torode himself will stick around.
The fallout has already claimed casualties, with a festive Celebrity MasterChef special that had already been filmed axed last year.
Wallace was axed from MasterChef in November.
He had co-hosted MasterChef since 2005, with him stepping down after alleged inappropriate behaviour and sexualised comments to a number of guests and crew.
Wallace has been accused of making sexual remarks to 13 colleagues including Beeb anchor Kirsty Wark - accusations he denies.
The former greengrocer spoke out on social media to blast the "women of a certain age" who he claimed were behind the allegations.
After the complaints emerged and the scandal exploded, he apologised for his ageist comment.
It emerged that the BBC was warned about Wallace's behaviour at least five times over seven years.
BBC officials carried out an HR investigation in 2018 and spoke to the star multiple times about inappropriate comments.
Celebrity MasterChef 2012 winner Emma Kennedy said she reported Wallace’s behaviour to a member of the production team but did not know if it was taken any further.
Georgia Harding, a MasterChef producer from 2014-15, said she raised concerns about his behaviour but nothing was done.
In 2017, radio broadcaster Aasmah Mir went on the celebrity version and sent an email to Kate Phillips, now head of unscripted TV for the BBC, about Wallace’s inappropriate comments.
In 2018, Wallace was reportedly issued with a formal warning by the BBC following an HR probe.
In 2022, director and producer Dawn Elrick said she sent a letter to the corporation with a number of anonymised accounts from people alleging Wallace acted inappropriately.
The Sun on Sunday told how a Nestlé executive had written to the BBC with concerns about Wallace’s behaviour while filming a 2023 episode of Inside The Factory.
Meanwhile, The Sun revealed the next Celebrity MasterChef is casting its stars.
RuPaul’s Drag Race star Ginger Johnson is set to join Love Island bombshell Uma Jammeh, 23, in the upcoming instalment, swapping the runway with the kitchen for her next challenge.
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