return has been pushed back as the waits for the outcome of a probe into axed host .
According to recent reports, the hit cooking show has been dropped from the schedule while lawyers continue to interview everyone from former contestants to the crew — and of course Wallace himself.
It comes after the former grocer, 60, stepped away from the show in the wake of a number of allegations that he had indulged in sexualised jokes and inappropriate remarks towards contestants. He denies any wrongdoing.
The cookery show, which usually airs between February and April, has been fully edited and is ready to be aired on One, however, bosses are holding off until they get a full report on Wallace.
Sources told MailOnline: ” feel they have no option but to wait for the outcome of an inquiry into what went on, which is being conducted by lawyers at the firm Lewis Silkin.
BBC MasterChef return ‘shelved’ after Gregg Wallace replaced (Image: GETTY)
“They did not want to scrap the show, as it would have punished those who took part.
“It was not possible to edit out Wallace’s contributions, as he tastes the dishes alongside Torode and also chats to contestants.”
Chef Anna Haugh stepped in for the final filming days alongside host John Torode after the scandal erupted, while food critic Grace Dent joined Celebrity MasterChef in January.
A planned celebrity Christmas MasterChef was scrapped.
Grace Dent has replaced Gregg Wallace on Celebrity MasterChef (Image: PA)
In all, 13 individuals said that Wallace had made inappropriate sexual comments, allegations he vehemently denied.
In an video he said there were “13 complaints” from “over 4,000 contestants” he had worked with in 20 years on the show.
He went on to say the allegations came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”. He later apologised for those remarks.