Comedian Dave Gorman has announced that he had to cancel an episode of his upcoming series, “Modern Life is Goodish,” due to its significant focus on BBC presenter Gregg Wallace, who is currently embroiled in a series of allegations concerning inappropriate behaviour. Initially planned to consist of four episodes, the new series, which is set to air later this month, will now feature only three episodes.

Gorman revealed that the episode in question was completed shortly before multiple allegations against Wallace became public. Speaking to The Guardian, Gorman explained, “It’s sort of taking the piss out of him but in a very loving way, tongue in cheek.” Gorman described a specific routine within the episode that involved a fictional product he invented, which required celebrity endorsement, with the punchline highlighting an advertisement filmed with Wallace.

Despite attempts to salvage the episode, Gorman deemed the situation “hopeless,” leading to its eventual cancellation. As reported, at least 13 complaints have been filed against Wallace, with additional allegations emerging on social media.

The revelations surrounding Wallace have added complexity to the return of “Modern Life is Goodish,” which was officially announced last year after a seven-year hiatus. The original series aired on the Dave channel from 2013 to 2017, where it garnered an audience of approximately 1.5 million viewers per episode. Gorman’s presentation style typically includes comedic PowerPoint displays, engaging in discussions that assert modern life is “goodish” rather than strictly good or bad.

The return has been further complicated by the serious nature of the allegations facing Wallace, who co-hosted the popular cooking show “MasterChef” for 17 years alongside John Torode. The claims against him include accusations of inappropriate conduct on-set over a 17-year period, which involve allegations of groping crew members, making inappropriate jokes, and discussing his personal sex life in a professional environment.

Following the allegations, Wallace sparked controversy by posting a video on Instagram, which he later described as attributing the complaints to a handful of “middle-aged women of a certain age.” This statement drew widespread criticism, including from officials at Downing Street, who labelled it “completely inappropriate and misogynistic.” After facing backlash, Wallace issued an apology the following day for any offence caused.

Furthermore, scrutiny persists regarding the BBC’s handling of the allegations, particularly after it was revealed that the network was aware of complaints about Wallace as early as 2012, yet no substantive action appears to have been taken.

As Gorman prepares for the return of his show on February 24 on the U&Dave channel, viewers will be watching closely to see how the evolving situation around Wallace may impact the series and the broader context of media conduct in the UK. Wallace’s legal representatives continue to assert that the claims against him are “entirely false” and categorically deny any misconduct of a sexually harassing nature.

Source: Noah Wire Services