Is this Gregg Wallace's last TV appearance? Under-fire star makes the final edit of MasterChef: The Professionals as his future episodes of BBC show are axed

Gregg Wallace made what could be his final appearance on MasterChef on Thursday night after 19 years presenting the BBC show.

The under fire star appeared in the MasterChef: The Professionals finale, announcing Dan Merriman as the champion after judging his and fellow finalists Chiara Tomasoni and George Birtwell's dishes.

Gregg made the final edit of the programme, appearing prominently along-side co-presenters Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti, despite a flurry of allegations surrounding him in recent weeks.

The MasterChef judge, 60, announced he was stepping back from presenting the show after nearly 20 years last week while an investigation into his alleged misconduct is carried out.

During Monday's episode, viewers were convinced the star's role on the show had been edited down after the opening of the episode say Monica and Marcus both giving their assessments on the finalists whilst he was missing.

But during the finale, which saw the final three return to the MasterChef kitchen after travelling to Ireland earlier in the week, Gregg featured heavily, prompting some tweets from viewers.

'It would have been possible to edit out most of Gregg Wallace’s input in final episode of #mastercheftheprofessionals, so, why not?' asked one fan.

Other viewers quipped that they were 'watching the last few minutes of Gregg's career.'

The BBC decided to go ahead and broadcast the rest of Masterchef: The Professionals while they await the conclusion of the investigation by production company Banijay after holding crisis talks last week.

Whilst Professionals has continued to air, executives have pulled its planned two MasterChef Christmas specials, which featured celebrities including The Wanted singer Max George, Emmerdale actor Amy Walsh and Strictly Come Dancing's Amy Dowden.

In another blow for Wallace, Channel 5 has removed Gregg Wallace’s Big Weekends Away from its streaming platform My5 after complaints of the presenter’s inappropriate behaviour during his time filming the show. 

It is understood that the BBC and Banijay had been scouring the forthcoming episodes of MasterChef that have yet to air for any sexually inappropriate comments by Wallace.

A BBC spokesman told the Mail: 'MasterChef is life-changing for the chefs that take part and the show is about more than one individual.' 

It's not clear though what the BBC plans to do with the upcoming series of MasterChef which wrapped filming last week.

Gregg may be completely erased from the new series so it can be aired, MailOnline revealed last week.

Gregg had already filmed the forthcoming series for amateur chefs last month with his co-presenter John Torode, 59. But the 60-year-old is now set to be wiped from the tapes before it is screened next year.

But a production insider told the Mail Online that the series is ‘salvageable’ as the option to airbrush Wallace entirely out of the episodes is being carefully considered. 

This would mean that the series - which will have cost production company Banijay a significant sum to make - would not have to be binned.

The source said that Torode and Wallace’s critiques, where they give feedback on the contestants' food, were filmed separately.

They said: ‘John and Gregg were always shot with separate cameras. Any two shots, or wide shots containing the pair can be cut. Removing Gregg entirely is a difficult task, but not an impossible one.’

Last Friday, Australian chef Torode was flown overseas to continue filming the show, with Irish chef Anna Haugh stepping in to replace Wallace.

Filming on the forthcoming series was completed on Tuesday afternoon and had been due to be broadcast in Spring 2025.

It is now unclear when the BBC will air the recently recorded episodes.

Sources on set said 'it couldn't have gone better', with one saying: 'Considering the circumstances it has been seamless.'

'We had the popular Anna Haugh, who has appeared on the show before, step in and give the contestants feedback alongside John.

'The production team was committed to keeping the atmosphere on set as calm as possible for our amateur finalists.'

It would not be an unprecedented move for a BBC programme to erase its stars from the screen.

In 2023 RuPaul’s Drag Race, a reality TV contest for drag queens, one contestant was airbrushed out after they were accused of inappropriate behaviour before the show aired.

While TV presenter Jay Blades, who was charged last month with the physical and emotional abuse of his wife, has not appeared in pre-recorded episodes of The Repair Shop which have broadcast since.

Former greengrocer Gregg has denied behaviour of a sexually harassing nature. But he is now subject to an external investigation by top London law firm Lewis Silkin, instructed by MasterChef production company Banijay.

Torode broke his silence on Wednesday, but declined to defend his television colleague of 19 years, and said he fully supports the probe into the claims of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behaviour and language.

He said it had been 'hard' to keep working after hearing of the allegations.