Penny Lancaster speaks out on husband Rod Stewart's blistering attack on Gregg Wallace for the first time
Penny Lancaster has described herself as a "witness" and "victim" amid the ongoing investigation into Gregg Wallace's behaviour. Returning to the Loose Women panel on Thursday, the model was asked about her husband, Rod Stewart's claims that Gregg had "humiliated" her during her time on MasterChef.
Addressing the presenter on Instagram, Rod had called Gregg an "ill-mannered bully" last month, suggesting that Gregg had his negative interactions with Penny "cut" from the show.
Asked about Rod's comments, which were made on 28 November, Penny, 53, said: "I didn't realise my husband had sent that post out until it was out. And of course, you can imagine the influx of inquiries there were."
Speaking with Kaye Adams, Coleen Nolan and Olivia Attwood, she added: "I most definitely was witness and victim to some of the bullying and harassment behaviour of Gregg Wallace and, unfortunately, a lot of those involved in the production team were also witness to that.
"And I really feel that he used his position of power to, I believe, intimidate and cause distress to a lot of people on set. It's really unfortunate that someone like him is allowed to get away with that, and while others sort of stand by and let it happen at the same time."
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Penny concluded that it was "shocking to think how many women do suffer in the hands of men… in a powerful position and are too afraid to talk out".
"They don't feel at the time that they're going to be supported or listened to. So sometimes it can take a few years later for someone to mention something. It gives the other victims and people that have suffered the confidence to come forward."
Gregg, 60, is currently facing 13 allegations of inappropriate behaviour, and has stepped down from MasterChef amid an investigation led by Banijay UK. The claims include groping, crude jokes, and other misconduct spanning 17 years. Gregg has denied any behaviour of a sexual nature.
Following a wave of backlash on social media, the TV regular has remained silent in recent weeks. Alongside the allegations made against him, Gregg sparked further controversy after telling fans that complaints made against him were made by "a handful of middle-class women of a certain age."
"Apparently now, I'm reading in the paper, there's been 13 complaints in that time. In the newspaper, I can see the complaints coming from a handful of middle-class women of a certain age, just from Celebrity MasterChef. This isn't right," he said at the time.
After Downing Street described the video as "misogynistic," Gregg responded with a public apology on 2 December. "I want to apologise for any offence that I caused with my post yesterday and any upset I may have caused to a lot of people," he began.
"I wasn't in a good headspace when I posted it, I've been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion, I felt very alone, under siege yesterday when I posted it. It's obvious to me I need to take some time out, now while this investigation is underway. I hope you understand and I do hope you will accept this apology."
