Kirsty Wark says Gregg Wallace used 'sexualised language'
According to leading bookies Coral, none other than James Martin is the most likely replacement for Gregg Wallace on Masterchef, with odds of 2-1.
Although he's the early favourite, that's by no means set in stone. That said, the Saturday Kitchen star is currently topping the betting, sailing ahead of other hopefuls such as Matt Tebbutt (standing at 7-2), and Ainsley Harriott at 4-1. Rylan Clark, who's gone from Big Brother, This Morning and the Xtra Factor to hosting his own travel show with Rob Rinder, is also in the running.
While he has odds of 8-1 according to Coral's latest research, another contender is hot on his heels - Simon Rimmer. The chef, is best known for his on-screen partnership with Tim Lovejoy.
He told last week of how he was heart-broken to be saying goodbye to his vegetarian and vegan restaurant chain Greens. Popular ever since his flagship eatery opened in Manchester three decades ago, the Sunday Brunch star had hoped for the brand's continuing success, only to find that it had become financially "untenable".
Yet the latest research suggests that he holds odds of 10-1 to take over from Gregg. Then there's Great British Bake Off favourite Mary Berry and co-star Paul Hollywood, who have been awarded odds of 12-1 and 14-1 respectively.
Coral's John Hill said: "James Martin tops our betting to make a return to the BBC for MasterChef.
"He is the early favourite to be the next presenter, with Matt Tebbutt and Ainsley Harriott also likely to be the in the running, according to our odds."
Gregg Wallace stands accused of making "sexualised jokes" and "inappropriate" comments during filming for the BBC show, with a total of 13 people speaking out about alleged behaviour spanning the last 17 years.
Celebrity Masterchef 2011 contestant Kirsty Wark recently claimed to Newsnight that she had heard jokes from him that she felt were "really in the wrong place".
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She stated: "There were two occasions in particular where he used sexualised language in front of a number of people and it wasn’t as if anyone engaged with this.
"It was completely one-way traffic - but I think people were uncomfortable and [it was] something that I really did not expect to happen."
MasterChef's production company Banijay UK said they would be conducting an "external review" to "impartially investigate" the claims.
The company clarified: "While this review is under way, Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef and is committed to fully cooperating throughout the process."
