Gregg Wallace was fired from Inside The facility because his banter during a visit to the Nestle facility was deemed ‘rude’ and ‘derogatory’ towards women, according to sources.
Despite leaving the BBC2 programme in March, citing he needed more time with his three-year-old son, the host’s contact at the factory has subsequently been identified as a cause.
The MasterChef host was touring a factory when he made improper comments about the weight of ladies at the facility that were not sexual in nature.
Following his interaction, he filed a complaint with the show’s production company, Voltage TV, asking for his language to be muted.
A source said about the incident, according to The Times: ‘He was rude towards staff and continued to talk in a derogatory manner, especially to women.’
They went on to say that if the programme were to return with Gregg at the helm, the personnel involved would be unhappy.
‘He was given a talking to and was appalled that he had caused such offence,’ the source revealed.
The insider went on: ‘He felt that he was just trying to be friendly but no longer knew what the right thing to say was any more and decided to leave.’
Following the initial comments, an insider from Nestle added: ‘He comes in cracking jokes but is from a very different world to our workers.’
They went on to say that if the programme were to return with Gregg at the helm, the personnel involved would be unhappy.
‘We have one more episode filmed . . . and would be open to participating in future episodes or similar projects.’
Gregg has hosted the factual show for the past seven years, and Wallace has already taped forthcoming episodes in which he takes viewers through the manufacturing process.
During an interview with Gaby Roslin on her BBC Radio London show in March, the presenter indicated he would still be appearing on MasterChef and explained his departure from the factory series.
He said: ‘As viewers know, to say I find the inside of factories fascinating is an understatement.
‘I’ve never failed to be amazed by the scale of production, whether it’s conveyor belts full of tiny sweets or a double decker bus rolling out of the factory for the very first time.
‘For me, filming the show alongside my other TV and family commitments has always been a balance and as my son Sid’s needs become more challenging, I’ve decided the time has come to hang up my hairnet.
‘We’ve already filmed 12 future episodes so viewers can see me enjoying lots more factories in my hi-viz jacket for a while to come yet.’