Penny Lancaster says Gregg Wallace intimidated and distressed people on set

After the first claims emerged, Sir Rod posted on Instagram: “Good riddance Wallace… You humiliated my wife when she was on the show, but you had that bit cut out didn’t you?

“You’re a tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully. Karma got ya. Sir Rod Stewart”.

Lancaster – who made it to the quarter-finals of Celebrity MasterChef – told Loose Women: “Without going into details, 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.”

She said she was on jury duty at the time and didn’t realise what had happened until later, saying she was “in shock” by Sir Rod’s message.

“When I did turn my phone back on I got a message from a friend saying, ‘Oh my God, how amazing was that message your husband put out!’ And I was like ‘What message? What has he done?'”

Speaking to the panel, Lancaster said: “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.

“And 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.”

Lancaster added: “I felt a little bit vindicated that something was put out there, going back to sort of that whole Me Too [movement], it’s 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.”