Gregg Wallace has been the face of MasterChef for years, tasting some of the best, and best of the worst, culinary treats on the BBC show.
Now the 57-year-old foodie is back for another episode of Inside The Factory, with Gregg learning the ins and outs of trains in the latest episode.
He wasn’t always the elite foodie that he is now though, as the presenter started with humble origins in Kent.
In a candid interview, he later admitted that he discovered the world of high-class food much later in life than some would expect.
Today, not only has he become a household name, but he’s also coined his own ‘buttery biscuit base’ phrase that has been making the rounds on the internet for years.
Gregg Wallace’s life before MasterChef
(Image: ITV)
At the start of Gregg’s career, he was working as a warehouseman in Covent Garden market at the age of 24.
He opened his own fruit and veg company in 1989, George Allen’s Greengrocers, which helped to open his eyes to a new world of healthy foods.
It eventually made a turnover of £7.5million, allowing him to pursue the small screen.
He became the co-presenter of Veg Talk on BBC Radio 4, before joining Saturday Kitchen in 2002.
In 2005, he joined MasterChef, propelling his TV career to the next level.
However, he didn’t start to master the art of cooking until he had his children, who he regularly cooked for at home.
Late to the world of cooking
(Image: Grab)
Gregg has three children, with the first two being Libby and Tom Wallace, who he shares with his ex-wife Denise Wallace.
His third child Sid was born in 2021 to his new wife Anne-Marie Sterpini, who is 21 years younger than Gregg.
Speaking to the Big Issue, the presenter said: “I didn’t look after myself particularly well in those first years of living alone. My diet was fish finger sandwiches, fry ups, McDonald’s and kebabs.
“If I could go back to talk to my younger self I’d tell him to start eating healthier. I’d say, mate, learn to cook.
“A whole new world of opportunity will open up for you. Just buy two steaks in the supermarket, go home and put them in a pan.
“Get two slices of bread. You’ll be fine, honestly. It’s really, really easy to do. I promise you’ll like it, you’ll like it a great deal.”
*Gregg Wallace appears in Inside The Factory, airing tonight at 9pm on BBC2
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
