Moment Kay Burley invites Gregg Wallace to talk about his sex life '

Kay Burley appeared to take aim at Gregg Wallace when she invited him onto her breakfast show to talk about his sex life before jeering: 'I can't imagine that would take very long.'

The Sky News presenter made the jibe while discussing the 'sexual comments' probe which saw the MasterChef host step away from his role on the BBC show last week.

A total of 13 people, including Kirsty Wark, have complained about Wallace's conduct while working with him over a 17-year period across five shows, from 2005 to 2022. 

Talking with the former head of Channel 4 news, Dorothy Byrne, this morning, Burley said: 'I would be very happy for him to come and talk to me over the next few days or weeks - whether he would like to talk about his sex life or not.

'I can't imagine that would take very long.'   

As Byrne visibly grimaces at the mention of Wallace's bedroom antics, Burley swiftly changes the subject asking: 'As a former head of a news organisation how should this have been handled?'

It comes amid claims BBC bosses allowed Wallace to work on MasterChef despite a warning from an executive about his 'unacceptable' behaviour seven years ago.

Kate Phillips, who currently manages unscripted programmes for the BBC, intervened to address the host's conduct following a complaint raised by Scottish broadcaster Aasmah Mir.

In emails seen by the Times, Ms Mir contacted the BBC about inappropriate comments made by Wallace during filming for the show's 12th season in November 2017.

The radio host said in a message forwarded to Phillips that she didn't want 'to feel guilty when people say 'why wasn't anything said before?' before adding in another email that 'this must not happen again to another woman.'

The BBC exec said she would make sure she was 'informed straight away' if more allegations were raised against the food show host.

However Wallace allegedly continued to behave inappropriately, being warned about his conduct on BBC quiz show Impossible Celebrities the following year.

Ms Mir claimed Wallace had asked her to tell a colleague at the BBC that she was a 'sexy b****' and said he told a fellow contestant she was 'handling fish like a rapist'.

The Scottish broadcaster took to social media to make the bombshell claims which detailed her alleged uncomfortable encounter with Wallace.

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Posting on X the Times Radio host said: 'In 2017 I took part in Celebrity MasterChef. I put my first dish down in front of the judges and the cameras paused to reset.

'In front of everyone, Gregg Wallace told me to tell a colleague at the BBC "that she was a sexy b****."

'No-one said anything. And yes I did complain.'

She added: 'I left the competition first. 

'But two female contestants including Ulrika Jonsson told me afterwards that he had told another contestant that the way she was handling fish "looked like a rapist doing foreplay".'

It comes after Wallace added fuel to the fire on Sunday when he posted a video claiming his accusers were just a 'handful of middle-class women of a certain age'.

He has since apologised for 'any offence' he caused and stepped away from presenting while allegations into alleged misconduct are investigated.

On December 2 the under-fire TV host posted another video in which he said: 'I want to apologise for any offence that I caused with my post yesterday and any upset I have caused to a lot of people.

'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 [and] 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 that you can accept my apology.'