Greg Wallace’s ghostwriter says he sexually assaulted her

The ghostwriter of Greg Wallace’s 2012 autobiography claims he sexually assaulted her.

Shannon Kyle told BBC Newsnight that the MasterChef presenter answered the door wearing only a towel, which he then dropped, made “revolting” and “disgusting” sexual suggestions to her, and touched her inappropriately.

Kyle, who was 35 at the time, was writing Wallace’s memoir, Life on a Plate.

Lawyers representing Wallace said: “Our client denies that he has engaged in any such conduct, and he specifically denies any sexual misconduct with Ms. Kyle.”

This story contains graphic details of alleged sexual assault.

Kyle claimed that Wallace had shared explicit details of his own sex life while working on the book between May and August 2012.

The now 47-year-old also alleges Wallace inappropriately touched her thigh while she sat in the passenger seat of his sports car, and that he felt her bottom after they visited the Good Food Show in Birmingham.

Kyle said he chose to speak out to highlight Wallace’s “violent” behavior.

Newsnight put the latest allegations to Wallace’s representatives on Tuesday.

The presenter’s lawyers have strongly denied that he engaged in behavior of a sexually harassing nature.

It comes like this The Sun publishes latest allegations Strictly Come Dancing bosses were alerted to Wallace’s alleged inappropriate behavior when he appeared on the show in 2014.

At least one staff member raised concerns about the 60-year-old man, who was voted off after the first week, according to the newspaper.

Video footage of one of Wallace’s training sessions with dance partner Aliona Villani has also recently resurfaced, showing him explaining how he hadn’t worn underwear in years and grabbing his crotch.

A BBC representative has said: “Although we do not comment on individuals, we take any issues raised to us seriously and we have robust procedures in place to deal with them.”

Last week the BBC show’s production company Banijay UK announced that Wallace would “step down from his role on MasterChef” following complaints from individuals regarding historical allegations of misconduct.

it was followed A BBC News investigation in which 13 people were heardPeople of different ages made allegations about inappropriate sexual comments at five different events.

After this other women have also come forward With additional claims against the TV host.

Banijay UK has announced an “urgent, external review to ensure a full and fair investigation” and said Wallace is “committed to co-operating fully throughout the process”.

When beginning work with Wallace on the book, Kyle said: “The first interview we did was pretty straightforward, and then we agreed to meet whenever he was available.”

Kyle, who has written several books, alleges that in the “second or third interview”, which took place at his own restaurant at 8 a.m. due to Wallace’s “very busy filming schedule”, he “talked about his love life. Started doing”.

“He was dating many different women. And he started telling me about these dates, who the women were, where he met them. And then in very graphic detail, what sexual acts they did together,” Kyle said.

“He talked a lot about spanking. He also talked about one of his girlfriends in front of the mirror. He talked about incredibly sexual details, which was very shocking at the time because it was the whole story for the book. Was kind of unnecessary.”

On one occasion, she said a meeting was arranged at Wallace’s flat, and she opened the door “completely naked, except for a towel around her waist”.

She claims Wallace said he had just returned from the gym and taken a shower and said it would be okay for him to go into the living room.

Kyle said he asked Wallace: “Look, can you go and get dressed?”

She said that she sat on the sofa while waiting for him. Wallace then returned to the towel and, she claims, told her his pants were folded behind the pillow she was next to.

“Then I looked up and then he dropped the towel,” she said.

Newsnight asked whether the towel drop could have been an accident, to which Ms Kyle said “definitely not”.

“I felt quite unsafe because I was alone in a flat with a man. She’s naked,” she said.

Kyle, who was a single parent at the time, signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before starting the project.

“The author understands that Wallace enjoys a high public profile and that her obligations of loyalty and confidentiality to him are of particular importance,” the NDA said.

“I was worried about losing my job,” she said, “because I had given up everything for this job. So I thought to myself… I’ll just try and navigate this, (I’ll) just try and move forward,” she said. “It was really rebellious.”

At another meeting for the book, Kyle said that, during a restaurant meal, the TV presenter made other sexually suggestive comments, including: “If you won’t let me sleep with you, will you lick my (anus) ?”

While she was eating the sweets, he made another comment, which included: “What would you think if I put some of the Eton mess you’re eating on my willies?”

Kyle said it was “disgusting…obscene”. You know, it was clearly designed to cause some kind of discomfort.

On another occasion when they were finishing an interview at her flat, while saying goodbye, she said, Wallace initiated a “really big hug”.

“His face was right next to my face… I was completely stunned.”

She alleged that Wallace whispered in her ear: “Just give me a little kiss. Just a little.”

Kyle said she then stopped and she either let go or I gave her a little push. And, and then I wanted to get away really quickly.

She said she was left “in tears”.

The flat incident was not the only incident when Kyle said she faced inappropriate behavior and harassment from Wallace.

On a separate occasion, she claimed that when she was seated in his sports car on the way to an interview, he touched her inappropriately around her thigh and knee while changing gears.

Kyle said the action forced her to move away and he asked her to stop.

She claims that after the interview at a restaurant, Wallace “began trying to touch my knee and my thigh again” on the way home.

She said that at this point “I started to lose my temper because I really had had enough”.

After threatening to kill Wallace while in the car, she said he stopped and “didn’t try it again”.

But according to Kyle, the alleged harassment and inappropriate touching continued afterward.

In one of the final interviews for the book, he traveled to Birmingham, where Wallace was to appear on the Good Food Show.

After the incident, she said Wallace touched her inappropriately in a hotel car park.

When allegations surfaced about Wallace’s inappropriate comments and behavior last week, Kyle said it felt like it was “a long time coming”.

He described her behavior as “violent” and added: “Sometimes you have to speak up for what’s right.”

The ghostwriter claims that Wallace’s alleged actions have been downplayed by some as “cheeky barrow-boy humor”, but she describes it as “rebellious misogyny”.

The BBC has withdrawn its MasterChef Christmas Special after allegations surfaced about Wallace’s behavior last Thursday.

on wednesday, Wallace’s co-host John Torode said He found the recent allegations “really disturbing”.

A BBC spokesperson thanked those who “had the courage to speak out” about the allegations about Wallace. It said production company Banijay UK had launched a review because they have a contractual relationship with Wallace.

“He is not employed by the BBC. When issues were raised with the BBC we took action, referring the issues to the production company concerned and directly challenging its behaviour, as has been widely reported.

The spokesman said he hoped the independent investigation would be conducted “rigorously and as quickly as possible”.

The BBC is also running its own review on workplace culture.