Gregg Wallace has apologised for saying allegations of inappropriate behaviour were made by “middle-class women of a certain age”, claiming he felt “under siege”. Wallace said in a video posted on Instagram that he was “not in a good place” and he is “under a lot of stress”.

Television presenter Aggie MacKenzie, who competed on “Celebrity MasterChef” in 2011, told ITV on Monday that Wallace made “endless smutty jokes” and alleged that “he’s been allowed to carry on in his own sweet way for many, many years.”

After a separate video in which Wallace discounted his accusers as “middle-class women of a certain age,” a spokesperson for the British government called his response “inappropriate and misogynistic” during a background briefing, which prompted Wallace’s apology. In his latest video, a more contrite Wallace said he will be taking a “time out.”