Gregg Wallace stepped down from his hosting role on BBC show Inside The Factory after ‘offending female staff’ with his use of ‘inappropriate banter,’ sources claim. 

The presenter, better known for his long-serving role on MasterChef, was originally thought to have walked away in order to help care for three-year old son Sid, who is autistic. 

But an alleged incident at the Nestlé UK factory in York, where the show has been based on five different occasions, is believed to have prompted his departure in March. 

Wallace is understood to have offended certain female staff members with comments pertaining to their weight during a ‘friendly’ conversation,’ The Times reports. 

‘He was rude towards staff and continued to talk in a derogatory manner, especially to women,’ a source told the publication. 

Gone: Gregg Wallace stepped down from his hosting role on BBC show Inside The Factory after ‘offending female staff’ with his use of ‘inappropriate banter,’ sources claim

Disagreement: An alleged incident at the Nestlé UK factory in York, where the show has been based on five different occasions, is believed to have prompted his departure in March

While the comments were non-sexual in nature, they were deemed ‘inappropriate’ and a complaint was lodged with Voltage TV, the production company responsible for developing the show. 

‘He was given a talking to and was appalled that he had caused such offence,’ the source added. 

‘He felt that he was just trying to be friendly but no longer knew what the right thing to say was any more and decided to leave.’ 

A Nestlé UK insider has since confirmed the presenter unintentionally upset staff while filming the show, adding: ‘He comes in cracking jokes but is from a very different world to our workers.’ 

Wallace, who presented the show for seven years, had already filmed upcoming episodes for the factual programme, which sees him delve into how goods are made.

Staying put: While he has departed Inside The Factory, Wallace has retained his hosting role alongside John Torode on MasterChef (pictured)

Following his departure the BBC confirmed he will continue to judge MasterChef alongside co-host John Torode. 

Speaking on Gaby Roslin’s BBC Radio London show in March, Wallace insisted he needed to step away from Inside The Factory because his son Sid, who is non-verbal and autistic, needs additional support with his education.

Wallace, a former greengrocer, described his three-year-old boy as a ‘lovely, lovely little boy’ with a ‘wonderful mother’ but admitted ‘it’s not easy’.

The MasterChef host conceded that filming the show involves a lot of travelling away from his family as he visits factories spanning the country.

‘So I’ve made a decision that I’m actually not going to do Inside The Factory any more,’ Wallace said.

Moving on: Wallace, who presented the show for seven years, had already filmed upcoming episodes for the factual programme, which sees him delve into how goods are made

Family: The MasterChef host originally claimed he wanted to spend more time focusing on his three-year-old son Sid. (Pictured, Wallace with his wife Anne-Marie and Sid)

‘It’s a good time to stop doing it because there’s actually 12 episodes in the can… so I wouldn’t have been filming for a while anyway so it just seemed like a good idea to stop it.’

The original presenter of long-running BBC cooking show Saturday Kitchen shares Sid with his wife Anne-Marie Sterpini, who he married in 2016.

Wallace, who has also featured on Eat Well For Less, Turn Back Time, Harvest and Supermarket Secrets, added that he is almost 60 and also has his health website ShowMe.Fit to run alongside spending time with his family.

The judge of Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals added: ‘Imagine a child that you can’t threaten or bribe and that’s basically what you’ve got.

‘You’ve got a little boy who’s cuddly and happy and naughty, like any little boy would be, but he can’t speak, he can’t talk to you, so he gets frustrated because he finds it difficult to tell you what exactly it is he needs.

‘Right now, we need to find education for him and I can’t just leave that to Anna – that’s a big, big decision.

Stepping down: ‘It’s a good time to stop doing it because there’s actually 12 episodes in the can… so I wouldn’t have been filming for a while anyway so it just seemed like a good idea to stop it,’ he said in March 

Busy man: Wallace added that he is almost 60 and also has his health website ShowMe.Fit to run alongside spending time with his family

‘I mean, all parents worry about the schools that children will go to. Ours is even more highlighted because of poor little Sid’s issues.’

Jack Bootle, the Corporation’s head of specialist factual, said Wallace has been ‘integral to the success’ of the series and has brought ‘humour, intelligence and genuine curiosity to one of the BBC’s biggest returning factual brands’.

‘I’d like to thank him for all his hard work and commitment to the programme,’ he added:

Before he began his broadcasting career, Wallace worked at Covent Garden fruit and vegetable market before starting George Allan’s Greengrocers in 1989.

The TV presenter, who also has two children, Tom and Libby, from a previous relationship, took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2014 and was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours last year for services to food and charity.

MailOnline has contacted a representative for further comment.