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A huge survey of almost 11,000 affected 1950s-born women shows support for Reform UK has shot up to 24%, while support for the Conservatives stands at 13% and a mere 7% back Labour

WASPI women are flocking to Nigel Farage’s party amid a massive “betrayal” from Labour over compensation.

A huge survey of almost 11,000 affected 1950s-born women shows support for Reform UK has shot up to 24%, while support for the Conservatives stands at 13% and a mere 7% back Labour. Some 24% of WASPI women voters are undecided about how they will vote and 8% will not vote at all.

Asked how they voted in this year’s election, 30% of the WASPI women polled said they backed Labour, 18% supported the Tories and 15% voted for Reform UK.Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall last week stunned MPs by refusing to pay compensation to more than 3.5 million women who lost out on state pension payments when their retirement age was raised. It came after a number of senior figures, including Ms Kendall, Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves backed the campaign in opposition.

A survey of WASPI women shows support among them is surging for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party

Elsewhere the polling showed a dismal 82% of WASPI women believe Labour “does not care” about them. Three quarters of affected women (74%) said any decision on compensating WASPI women should now be taken away from ministers and handed directly to Parliament.

The Liberal Democrats have said they could force a Commons vote on the issue when MPs return to Westminster in January. Reports suggest up to 100 Labour MPs could vote against the government’s decision to reject compensation. WASPI carried out its polling in the three days after the government’s announcement as well as for about a week before it.

WASPI chair Angela Madden said: “The findings show the stark electoral price of Labour’s betrayal of WAPSI women to ignore the findings of the independent Parliamentary Ombudsman. With overwhelming numbers of furious Labour MPs backing fair compensation for WASPI women, the Prime Minister must urgently change course and deliver on his previous commitments.” She told the Mirror last week that legal experts will be working over Christmas looking at grounds for a judicial review of the government’s decision.

Commons leader Lucy Powell on Sunday said she “can’t see” the Government revisiting the issue of WASPI women. She said: “For women at this pension age, the triple-lock is now really boosting the value of pension… we’ve had to look at the report of the ombudsman and take two decisions. Was the recompense for that particular miscommunication back in 2004, was that proportionate? And we found that it wasn’t.

“And is it the right use of public money at this stage? Of course I recognise that over many years for these women, they do feel that they’ve been hard done by. But it wasn’t in our manifesto at this election. It was in 2019, and we lost that election in 2019 because people didn’t feel we could afford all the promises we put in our manifesto.”

::: WASPI’s SurveyMonkey poll of affected 1950s-born women received 10,994 responses between December 11 – 20, 2024.

The first seat-by-seat analysis since Labour’s landslide win points to the increasing threat posed by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK which could become the third biggest party

Britain is on course for a hung Parliament, with Reform UK predicted to seize dozens of seats from Labour, according to a new mega-poll.

The first seat-by-seat analysis since Labour’s landslide win in July found Keir Starmer’s party could lose nearly 200 seats – 87 seats to the Tories, 67 to Reform UK and 26 to the SNP. The mega-poll by More in Common suggests Reform could overtake the Liberal Democrats to become the third largest party in Parliament.

The next election is not due to be held until 2029, which means it is too early to predict what would happen on polling day. The results show the increasing headache posed by Reform UK to Labour and the Tories. But the findings pour cold water on wild claims Nigel Farage could become Prime Minister – or even overtake the Tories to lead the opposition.

The analysis found Labour would still emerge on top with 228 seats, compared to 222 for the Tories, and 72 for Reform. The Lib Dems would win 58, the SNP on 37 and the Green Party would take 2.

But it suggests Mr Starmer’s massive majority would be wiped out, putting the country on course for a hung Parliament.

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is proving a thorn in the side for both Labour and the Tories ( 
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
Seven cabinet ministers risk losing their seats, six of them to Reform, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting predicted to lose his Ilford North seat to an independent. He clung onto his seat by just 528 votes in July after a fraught contest heavily influenced by Labour’s position on the conflict in Gaza.

The analysis predicts Angela Rayner, Yvette Cooper, John Healey, Ed Miliband, Bridget Phillipson and Jonathan Reynolds could lose their seats to Reform, which could surge for Reform in south Yorkshire and Tyneside.

The implied national vote share has Labour on 25% the Conservatives on 26%, Reform on 21%, the Lib Dems on 14%, the Greens on 8%, the SNP on 2% and other parties on 3%.

The model – which uses the multi-level regression and post-stratification method that predicted the last three election results – points to a fragmentation of the vote, with some contests too close to call. In 221 seats, the winner has a lead of less than 5 percentage points, while in 87 seats there is a statistical tie where the winner is less than 2 percentage points ahead.

Luke Tryl, executive director of More in Common UK, said: “With potentially four and a half years to go, this model is not a prediction of what would happen at the next general election. Instead it confirms the fragmentation of British politics that we saw in July’s election has only accelerated in Labour’s six months in office.

“The first-past-the-post system is struggling to deal with that degree of fragmentation, which is why our model shows so many seats on a three-way knife-edge, and many being won on exceptionally small shares of the vote. There is no doubt that many voters have found the start of the Starmer Government disappointing, and Labour’s estimated vote share would drop significantly were there to be an election tomorrow.

“While the new Government is still in its infancy, it is clear that decisions such as means-testing the winter fuel allowance and other budget measures have landed badly.”

The analysis is based on voting intention data collected between October 31 and December 16 from 11,024 adults in Great Britain.

Jeremy Clarkson’s partner of eight years, Lisa, took to social media to share a sweet Christmas Day message with fans

Jeremy Clarkson’s partner, Lisa, was flooded with sweet messages after sharing a kind Christmas post.

The Clarkson’s Farm star, who recently celebrated her eighth anniversary with Jeremy, took to the show’s X/ Twitter page on Christmas Day to share a clip of all the sheep on their Diddly Squat Farm. In the video, she said: “Merry Christmas from all of us here at Diddly Squat Farm.”

“I hope you’re having a good day and just remembering the people who aren’t with their families and who are a little sad today. We are all thinking of you,” Lisa added as she panned the camera closer to the adorable sheep enjoying some hay. Fans immediately rushed to the comment section to share their support for her.

One user commented: “Thank you and Merry Christmas to you and may the farmers be free to farm in the new year,” while another follower posted: “Merry Christmas, Lisa and to everyone at the Farm! Thank you for everything You & Clarkson do to try to make it a better world.”

Lisa shared a sweet message with fans ( 
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X)

Lisa and Jeremy recently celebrated their eighth anniversary ( 
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Instagram)

“Merry Christmas from East Tennessee. Thank you for sharing your farm with us. Much love and blessings to you all,” another said and one posted: “Merry Christmas to you all!!! Thank you both for all you do.” Jeremy and his girlfriend Lisa started dating in 2016 after meeting at a friend’s Christmas party.

It followed the end of the TV presenter’s marriage breakdown to Frances Cain, to whom he was married for just over 20 years. Earlier this month, Jeremy and Lisa celebrated their eighth anniversary, with Lisa sharing some sweet pictures of the two on her social media page. In one picture, where Jeremy can be seen protectively wrapping his arm around Lisa’s shoulders while they are out at sea on a boat.

She wrote: “8 years today, I met Jeremy Clarkson.” She then shared yet another adorable picture of the pair at what looks to be a dinner party, and the journalist-turned-farmer has his arms once again wrapped around Lisa while she smiles for the camera. Lisa added some heart emojis to the picture.

Although they’re head over heels for each other now, it wasn’t always that way. Lisa shared in a previous interview that she didn’t give into her beau’s advances that easily and made him work for her love. Speaking to The Sun, she said: “I thought, ‘Ok, you’ve got a bit of a rep’—so he had to really court me!”

Dominic Wood – one half of children’s TV duo Dick and Dom – has watched his career go in a completely new direction after bursting onto the scene on the hit TV series in the early noughties

One former kids television presenter has stunned with his new look – and change of career.

In the early noughties, kids TV host Dominic Wood, now 46, was part of a formidable duo. Alongside Richard McCourt, the duo made up favourites Dick and Dom, with shows including Dick and Dom in da Bungalow. The hit show ran for five series, but Dom has now relaunched himself after stepping away from the small screen.

Instead, he is now growing a following on social media. Under the Instagram and TikTok handle @the_houseofwood, Dom is sharing his best DIY tips with over 500,000 followers. His clips involve himself documenting his impressive home renovation projects. While they are informative, Dom hasn’t moved too far away from his satire, either.

Dom on his Instagram page

Dom has gained a large following online
His new project first began in the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020. He started to film his renovation project of his own home he bough in Surrey with his wife and young kids. In one of his first posts, Dom shared a caption alongside a series of images from the brochure of the estate agents who sold him the property.

He said: “With no one able to work myself and Sandi had to do as much as we could on our own. It was hard work on top of homeschooling and losing work BUT we like a challenge and THIS was a challenge. The house had obviously been lived in and loved but needed some updating. These are the pics from the estate agents brochure. What would you do first?!?”

After successfully capturing his audience, Dom continues to tell his transformation stories – and looks miles away from the character who catapulted him to fame. Projects have came in different sizes and stature, but they always appear to be “Hard and VERY messy work,” according to Dom.

Speaking in 2019 about his experience working on the show, which aired between 2002 and 2006, Dom said: “All our mates worked on the show, we were mates together. You couldn’t wait to get to the studio – it was so exciting when the cab pulled up at 5am.”

Speaking to The Mirror in 2021, Richard recalled his favourite moments of the show. “Kids still play Bogies nowadays and people shout it at us all the time. I think we are on the third generation of kids growing up,” explaining the enduring impact they made. He added humorously: “The kids that have grown up with Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow are between 25 and 35, so they’ve had kids and are teaching their kids Bogies.” Richard, then added a touch of amusement saying: “I’ll be in the supermarket and you can see them egg their kids on to shout bogies.”

Rik Waller was one of the standout stars of the first series of ITV’s Pop Idol in 2001, but his music career didn’t exactly go to plan – here’s what he’s up to now

Pop Idol, one of the biggest TV sensations of the early 2000s, only ran for two series, but IT catapulted Kent-born singer Rik Waller to fame, who was a favourite to win the first series of the reality singing competition.

Back in 2001, the then 20 year old wowed judges Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman and Neil Fox with his stunning vocals, making it into the final ten. However, he had to bow out prematurely due to laryngitis. Despite this setback, he found chart success with his rendition of Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You, which climbed to number six in the UK singles chart. He inked a record deal with EMI, rumoured to be worth around £400,000, and went on to release a cover of Something Inside (So Strong).

Rik Waller competed in Pop Idol during the first series ( 
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ITV)

Rik appeared on Celebrity Boot Camp ( 
Image:
Granada Televison)
Now 43, Rik has appeared on various UK reality shows, including Celebrity Fit Club, but around this time, he was dropped by EMI and formed a band that signed with Red Admiral Records. After disappointing ticket sales, they cancelled a planned tour and split up. The last time Rik graced our screens was in February 2007 on Never Mind The Buzzcocks. Rumours spread that he had lost his singing voice due to damage, reports OK!

In a 2007 interview, he confessed: “I’m getting tired of singing and I can’t rely on it for 100 per cent of my income. I’ve got two people to think about now, and talent doesn’t always pay the bills.” At the time, he was in a relationship with a woman who practised Paganism, and they planned a Pagan wedding ceremony. However, the relationship ended with whispers that she had encouraged him to quit performing.

In a candid 2013 interview with the Daily Mail, Rik revealed the humiliation of visiting a Job Centre: “The most demoralising thing I’ve ever had to do was queue up at the Job Centre and have people look at me saying, ‘What a failure’.” He added: “When you’ve lost the ability to do the job you’ve always done, it’s an incredible stab in the back to find people are actually laughing at you.

It was previously rumoured that he had lost the ability to sing ( 
Image:
PA Photo/Channel 5 Handout)

The former Pop Idol star is now an exam invigilator ( 
Image:
SWNS Group)“It’s why I don’t make a lot of effort to talk to the press these days – it can be more trouble than it’s worth.” He added: “If you’ve got a roof over your head and food on the table I don’t know how anyone can be truly unhappy.” By 2014, Rik had moved back in with his parents and was working as a secondary school exam invigilator under his birth name, Richard. He also helped his father run a local mobile karaoke and disco service. According to his Facebook page, he still works as an exam invigilator and resides in Leicester.

TV presenters Simon Rimmer and Tim Lovejoy announced a major change for their Channel 4 show Sunday Brunch after 13 years as hosts of the weekend cooking programme

Simon Rimmer and Tim Lovejoy have confirmed a huge shake up to their hit show Sunday Brunch after 13 years.

The presenting duo have been entertaining Channel 4 viewers for over a decade after launching the Sunday show in March 2012. They began hosting the programme when their BBC series Something for the Weekend was axed. Simon and Tim wrapped up their final episode of Sunday Brunch for 2024 today and made an annoucement.

The pair confirmed the show would be returning in the new year, yet with a different timeslot. Sunday Brunch will now air 30 minutes later and run from 10am till 1pm. Currently, the show kicks off at 9:30am until 12:30pm. Fans will still get their full three-hour fix of the cooking show with the change in place.

Simon and Tim said the new schedule will officially start on their next programme on January 5. Sunday Brunch initially ran for two hours from 9:30am and 11:30am. However, bosses were impressed and soon added an extra hour to the show. Spin-off programme Daily Brunch aired in 2014 as well as a Saturday edition, which aired on weekends when major horse racing events took place.

Tim and Simon have been hosting the show for 13 years ( 
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(Channel 4 images must not be altered or manipulated in any way) CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITY 124 HORSEFERRY ROAD LONDON SW1P 2TX This picture may be used solely for Channel 4 programme publicity purposes in connection with the current broadcast of the programme(s) featured in the national and local press and listings. Not to be reproduced or redistributed for any use or in any medium not set out above (including the internet or other electronic form) without the prior written consent of Channel 4 Picture Publicity.)

The show would be renamed as Weekend Brunch and saw Girls Aloud’s Kimberley Walsh step into hosting duties. She would host the show alongside Simon and Tim on-location at various racing events. Tim had to take some time out of the show when he had a back operation, meaning Johnny Vegas filled in.

Earlier this year, Simon revealed to the Mirror how Sunday Brunch isn’t just about celebrating fine food, but also there to help platform up and coming music artists. “I think the older I get, then the more varied my musical tastes go, and we’re very lucky on Sunday brunch that we have such a diverse range of acts [performing on the show] – we really do,” Simon told us.

Sunday Brunch’s Simon Rimmer and Tim Lovejoy made a huge show annoucement ( 
Image:
Channel 4)
“For example, we had Ride on last weekend, who I hadn’t really listened to since the nineties, and they’re got a new album out and it’s fantastic,” the Sunday Brunch presenter continued. “Then equally, you’ll get somebody like English Teacher who were on our playlist and you go ‘Wow! What a fantastic different sound that they’ve got’.

“So my [musical taste] is incredibly diverse and even with things that I was listening to when I was growing up in the seventies, I still like. I still listen to The Eagles in Fleetwood Mac and and ELO So I I find the older I get, the more diverse my musical taste.” Just a few weeks ago, the Sunday Brunch hosts were mocked over the name of a new segment.

Tim told viewers: “Since it’s Spotify Wrapped season we wanted to look back at Simon’s ‘Rimcaps’ and see which dishes have been the most popular online.” He stumbled: “It’s Rimcaps Wrapped… Unwrapped,” Tim stumbled, setting off a wave of giggles. Guest Joe Lycett cheekily said: “Is it wrapped or unwrapped?” and added: “Just to clarify, it’s called Rimcap? And everyone’s OK with that?” Simon responded with a grin: “I’m fine with that, Joe.”

Loose Women star Denise Welch is set to appear in Channel 4’s Celebrity Hunted alongside her husband, Lincoln Townley, next month – but her son Matty Healy stands to steal their thunder

Fans of the 1975 have been left stunned to see frontman Matty Healy will appear in a reality show with his mum, Denise Welch.

The 35-year-old musician is the son of 66-year-old Loose Women star Denise and her ex-husband Tim Healy, 72 – who she was married to from 1988 until 2012. Earlier this year it was revealed that Denise would be taking part in the Channel 4 reality series Celebrity Hunted which sees a cast of stars attempting to make it to a specified location while avoiding professional hunters that plan to catch them.

Fans of the 1975 have been left stunned to see frontman Matty Healy will appear in a reality show with his mum, Denise Welch.

The 35-year-old musician is the son of 66-year-old Loose Women star Denise and her ex-husband Tim Healy, 72 – who she was married to from 1988 until 2012. Earlier this year it was revealed that Denise would be taking part in the Channel 4 reality series Celebrity Hunted which sees a cast of stars attempting to make it to a specified location while avoiding professional hunters that plan to catch them.

The 1975 star stands to steal all the attention on Channel 4’s Celebrity Hunted ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

His mum then says: “They’ve [the hunters] have got our phone,” before Healy adds: “Well I’ve been saying I’ll meet you in Sunderland and stuff” – suggesting that Denise’s plan to secretly meet her son could ultimately lead to her getting caught. Channel 4 could see a boost in ratings for the upcoming season as fans of the 1975 have been flooding social media with comments and promises to tune in to watch the reality show.

One fan gushed on X: “Celebrity hunted with matty omg need it.” Another typed: “Saw the trailer. I’m so watching it just to hear Matty talking or whatever.” Sharing footage via Instagram, one fan highlighted the star’s involvement, writing: “Matty Healy appears with mum, @denise_welch and her husband @lincolntownley who star in Channel 4 Celebrity Hunted Season 6! Matty helping them elude capture by sending misleading messages? Can’t wait to see how Denise and Lincoln do.”

The 1975 have been largely out of the spotlight in recent months after vowing to take time off after an exhausting 60 date world tour. The lads hit the road in September 2023 with their Still… At Their Very Best Tour which took in dates across Europe and North America – and didn’t conclude until March 2024.

Matty sparked alarm when he told fans the band intended to go on an “indefinite hiatus” upon the conclusion of the tour. He later explained: “I didn’t mean to scare any hardcore fans by insinuating that we were splitting up or anything like that. That’s not happening. Don’t worry.” Their last album, titled Being Funny in a Foreign Language, was released in October 2022.

Fans of the BBC’s long-running sitcom Gavin and Stacey were stunned to see Laura Aikman back in her role as Sonia for the last ever episode – and so were her family

Gavin and Stacey star Laura Aikman’s involvement in the last ever episode was so top secret that even her own family had no idea she would be in it – and she kept it a huge secret from them for months.

Over 12 million fans of the BBC sitcom tuned into watch the series final on Christmas Day and they were all left in disbelief when a shock twist showed James Corden’s character Smithy was preparing to marry girlfriend Sonia – played by Laura, 39.

The last Christmas special that aired in 2019 ended with a cliffhanger proposal where Ruth Jones’s Nessa proposed to Smithy, and fans were expecting the episode to focus on their long-awaited wedding. However, in an unexpected twist Sonia was the one to be revealed as his blushing fiancée.

During the weeks that Gavin and Stacey filmed in Essex and Wales over the summer, paparazzi shots showed the familiar cast of characters moving around for scenes – but actress Laura was nowhere to be seen on set. That’s because her involvement as Sonia was kept top secret until the episode actually aired on Christmas Day.

Laura made a shock return as Sonia ( 
Image:
BBC)

It was so top secret that even her own family had no idea she was going to feature in the episode. Taking to social media after the episode aired, Laura shared video footage of her family reacting in shock to see her on their TV screen – and how she managed to keep the exciting news so well hidden.

Laura posted the video to her Instagram grid alongside a caption that stated: “I take an NDA very seriously.” And she added: “The moment my family realise Sonia is ruining Christmas again…” Her family were stunned by the reveal – and one could be heard gasping: “You never told me” – with Laura replying: “We never told anyone.”

The actress later divulged how she managed to keep her involvement in the Christmas Day finale under wraps. She revealed that the cast grid even left her out so as to avoid any spoilers being leaked.

She shared a photograph of the order of cast with headshots of all the actors – with a huge gap where cast member number 13 was supposed to be. She then shared a screenshot of herself in the episode and wrote: “Many apologies for my behaviour.”

Laura didn’t even tell her family that she was involved in the finale ( 
Image:
lauraikman/Instagram)

The actress shared he family’s reaction ( 
Image:
lauraikman/Instagram)
Gavin And Stacey director Christine Gernon also took to Instagram after the finale aired to reveal the extent of the extreme measures taken to her epic return a secret.

Sharing a photo of Laura alongside Alison Steadman, who portrays Pam in the BBC show, the director revealed that Laura was hidden away from the rest of the cast, and when they were filming, she stayed a different hotel to the rest of her co-stars in another huge attempt to keep her return a secret.

“Laura spent the whole g&s shoot being hidden away. Staying in a different hotel, not allowed to come to wrap or screening parties so no one knew Sonia was back. Such a great reveal. And she’s amazing as both actor and person,” the director shared.

Gavin and Stacey: The Finale drew in a whopping 12.5 million viewers to become the most watched show on Christmas Day. Now, fans are hoping that show creators James Corden and Ruth Jones will make a spin-off show.

“It was horrendous how it affected me,” the actress said, while also emphasizing that ADHD medication can be beneficial for many people

“It was horrendous how it affected me,” the actress said, while also emphasizing that ADHD medication can be beneficial for many people

Denise Welch. Photo: Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty

Actress Denise Welch is detailing how her ADHD diagnosis almost led to her breaking her sobriety after more than a decade.

The 66-year-old appeared on the Nov. 18 episode of the ADHD Chatter podcast alongside host Alex Partridge, where she opened up about receiving a late-in-life ADHD diagnosis two years ago.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders and can result in difficulty paying attention and controlling impulsive behaviors, or being overly active, according to the CDC.

Welch admitted that she was caught off guard by the diagnosis because she thought clinical depression was her only mental health issue. She’s struggled with post-natal depression since 1989 when her son Matty Healy was born.

“Because depression has always been my illness… I never thought of having another thing,” she said on the show. “[Depression] was always my thing.”

Denise Welch.ADHD Chatter Podcast/YouTube

Welch was ultimately prescribed medication to manage her ADHD. She recalled telling her husband Lincoln Townley that she didn’t “feel the need” to take medication because she didn’t want to “change who I am.” She said he reminded her how she advocates for antidepressants when necessary and told her it was a similar situation. She agreed to try it.

“Lincoln said to me, ‘If someone else was diagnosed with something and they were advised to take the medication, you would tell them they should,’ because I’m a huge advocate for antidepressant medication when prescribed for the right reasons.”

The Loose Women panelist said she took the medication for the first time in January 2023 before attending one of her son’s shows. Healy is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of The 1975.

“I honestly thought, because of the way that it had been described to me,  that my head would be clearer. I would be much more focused. I wouldn’t be trying to multitask a million things, my head wouldn’t be scrambled,” Welch explained.

“I took the tablet and an hour later, I wanted a drink and a cigarette for the first time in 11 years,” she said. “And it was horrendous how it affected me. Had I not been so many years into and so secure and capable of managing my sobriety, it would have been a very very very dangerous tipping point for me.”

Welch said she wished she’d known about the potential side effect. “It was really quite frightening,” she added. “I made the decision, literally the day after, to not take it. My sobriety is just too important to me to ever risk that.”

The star noted that she concealed her craving for alcohol the entire night but her husband still noticed.

“Lincoln, he said the next day, ‘I never want you to take that again… because your energy was like when you used to drink.’ He felt that old energy coming back,” she recalled. “His observation of me was, ‘This is scary.’”

Despite not having a positive experience herself, Welch emphasized that medication can be extremely beneficial for many people with ADHD.

“One of the things I am always glad of the opportunity of being able to tell people is that, ADHD medication changes so many people’s lives for the better, but there are some people it is not good for and I was absolutely one of them,” she said.

Andi Oliver says MasterChef host’s ‘antics’ were an ‘open secret’ and real change needs to be implemented

Andi Oliver says she isn’t interested in ‘thousands of people shouting about Gregg Wallace on Twitter’ Credit: Getty Images/Jim Dyson

The outrage over the Gregg Wallace sexual misconduct allegations was “fake”, Andi Oliver, a TV chef, said.

Oliver, host of the BBC’s Great British Menu, claimed there are “tonnes of others who go around behaving badly” in the industry.

Last month it emerged that Wallace is to step away from MasterChef while historical misconduct complaints are externally reviewed by Banijay UK, the show’s producer.

Oliver told the Guardian she was “not surprised” by the allegations being made about Wallace, which include making “inappropriate sexual jokes” and sexual harassment.

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Wallace’s lawyers previously told the BBC “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.

Oliver added: “There’s a certain culture that allows it to happen. Somebody should have nipped that s–t in the bud a long time ago. It’s not like nobody knew it was happening. I heard stuff. Everyone did. And there are tonnes of others who go around behaving badly.”

Oliver, who was first a judge and later became the host of Great British Menu, added: “But culture will only change if we stop all the fake outrage and actually implement change.

“Thousands of people shouting about Gregg Wallace on Twitter doesn’t interest me.

“What does is whether we remember this in six months, or will there be more fake shock and outrage when it happens all over again with the next person whose antics were an open secret?”

Gregg Wallace has stepped down from presenting MasterChef while sexual misconduct allegations are investigated  Credit: Getty Images/David M. Benett

Oliver revealed people have been asking her if she is going to join the MasterChef team to which she replied: “I can’t talk about that.”

It was announced earlier this month that restaurant critic Grace Dent will judge the next series of Celebrity MasterChef alongside John Torode.

Author and podcaster Dent has appeared regularly as a guest on MasterChef, and last year was a contestant on MasterChef: Battle Of The Critics.

BBC bosses previously said the corporation will not “tolerate behaviour that falls below the standards we expect” and will continue to champion “a culture that is kind, inclusive and respectful”.

A memo sent to staff by Tim Davie, the BBC director-general, and Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s chief content officer, said the corporation would be supporting MasterChef producer Banijay UK in its investigation.

Earlier this month, Banijay UK said in a statement: “It is important to note that MasterChef welfare processes are regularly adapted and strengthened and there are clear protocols to support both crew and contributors.

“These include multiple ways of reporting issues, including anonymously. HR contact details are promoted and contributors are assigned a point of contact on set available to discuss any issues or concerns.”