Gregg Wallace has opened up about the startling revelation he received while being entangled in multiple sexual misconduct scandals last year. In a fresh interview, the former MasterChef star revealed he had been diagnosed with autism amidst the tumult of the sexual misconduct allegations. He reflected: “It does explain a hell of a lot to me.”

The 60-year-old culinary expert received his diagnosis after stirring controversy with an Instagram story in which he singled out “middle-class women of a certain age,” following the allegations. Wallace recalled the incident to the MailOnline and expressed the magnitude of his distress: “My world tumbled in.” He described how his name was mentioned alongside individuals like Jimmy Savile and Huw Edwards, and shared his disgust at the overwhelming abuse he faced online and the negative press coverage.

He stated: “I think it’s vital there are channels open for vulnerable people to complain if they are being bullied, harassed or made to feel uncomfortable, but the system hasn’t been perfected. It doesn’t work if the person is a public figure and everything becomes a public trial.”

“Crying out loud, I had no idea where all these people were coming from. Then I went completely wild and blamed it all on middle-class women. It was the biggest mistake but, by far, the best thing I could have done.”

His misstep, however, led to a positive turn when a member of the MasterChef production team reached out to him, a gesture of support that was previously missing as he navigated the flood of accusations.

Wallace stated: “He was the first person I’d spoken to in days. Nobody should be left on their own to face something like this. It’s very difficult to explain the pressure unless you’ve been through it.

“I thought about suicide all the time: ‘Is my insurance up to date? Will Anna get some money? She doesn’t deserve this. It would be better if I wasn’t here.'”

He continued: “The MasterChef exec said, ‘Mate, what are you doing?’ I told him I had to speak out because people were saying what they liked about me and it wasn’t true. I said, ‘It just keeps on and on. What am I supposed to do?'”

In response, Banijay UK, the company behind MasterChef, provided Wallace with a crisis mentor for support.

The mentor, whom he referred to as “the life raft” he “clung to” insisted on a mental health evaluation, which led to his autism diagnosis.

“I want to make it absolutely clear I’m not blaming my behaviour on my diagnosis, but it does explain a hell of a lot to me,” Wallace explained.

He also expressed confusion over why his television persona, which apparently irritated many viewers for years, was never brought to his attention.

Wallace shared an anecdote about a long-standing debate with John over the definition of ‘travelling’ versus ‘going on holiday,’ highlighting how his need for precise definitions has been a persistent issue, even among MasterChef contestants.

“The producers are like, ‘Mate, will you stay on the food?’ I’m saying, ‘No. I need to know what constitutes travelling. How long were you away? How many hotels?’ John’s like, ‘Will you just f****** drop it?'”

The BBC is set to reveal the outcome of its probe into Wallace next month.