Inside Gregg Wallace's comeback: Truth about what's happening with the investigation, his state of mind - and the VERY surprising young woman who's helping him, revealed by ALISON BOSHOFF

Compared to the storm under which he retreated from public life, Gregg Wallace's return to social media this week was surprisingly low key. No Cockney banter, no grinning selfies, no showing off his post-health kick dad bod. Rather, the 60-year-old erstwhile MasterChef presenter reappeared (at least a pair of hands, which may or may not have been his, did) with a 30-second video for his Instagram followers about making protein pancakes.

The video had no voiceover, not even a recipe, just an accompanying note from Gregg that read 'easy n' healthy Gregg Wallace Health', a reference to his new lifestyle business. It's now ten weeks since the greengrocer-turned-television star's career spectacularly derailed amid a flurry of claims of inappropriate behaviour during his 19-year stint as co-host of MasterChef. It was announced the father-of-three would be stepping back from the BBC show amid an investigation into his conduct. It later emerged that 13 individuals, including Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, had reportedly accused him of 'wrong' and 'sexualised' behaviour during filming across a range of shows over a 17-year period.

Gregg Wallace stepped back from MasterChef amid an investigation into his conduct over a period of 17 years. Three days after the announcement, the presenter landed himself with more opprobrium when he declared that his accusers were 'middle-class women of a certain age' and claimed that 'absolutely none' of the staff on his other shows had complained about him. It was an extraordinary statement. Afterwards, Gregg released a somewhat red-faced apology, stating: 'I wasn't in a good headspace when I posted it. I've been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion.'.

Lawyers, meanwhile, said it was entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature. And then came silence - until this week. Gregg's last post on social media (he still has 224,000 followers on Instagram) was on November 27 - just one day before the allegations against him made headlines. So just what has been going on in the world of the once perennially chirpy, now curiously quiet, Gregg Wallace?.

According to locals in the peaceful Kent village of Biddenden, near to Gregg's home, he has been 'lying low' here too. One said: 'He always used to say hello. We haven't seen or heard him for weeks.'. MasterChef: The Professionals goes into production this summer. A review into the presenter's behaviour is due to be concluded at the end of the month, the Mail understands. Neither has the presenter been seen picking up fish from his local farm shop, which he previously described in a much-mocked account of his daily routine.

A worker at the Hartley Farm Shop and Cafe, in nearby Cranbrook, told the Mail: 'I've not seen him since the whole fallout. He was always having a laugh in here with people. It's a shame really.'. The Mail understands that the 'review' into Gregg's behaviour on MasterChef is due to be concluded by the end of the month, but that he has yet to be interviewed by the external team in charge of it, who were commissioned by production company Banijay.

A spokesman for Banijay said the investigation is still ongoing and there was no 'date for issue' at this stage. But if it was done and dusted before March, that would allow the team to make a decision about who should present the next iteration in the massively successful series, which will be MasterChef: The Professionals which goes into production this summer. So with the future of his TV career decidedly uncertain, has Gregg been licking his wounds all this time, or has the perpetual chameleon - he started out as a cabbie and window cleaner - been coming up with new plans?.

It's not in the nature of the ever-optimistic Gregg to admit defeat and television sources tell the Mail that while he has been spending time with his family he's also been focusing on Gregg Wallace Health. 'That's his main other thing outside of the TV presenting,' says one source. This is not, in fact, a new venture - he launched the subscription-based platform in 2019. It offers weekly meal plans and recipes, plus motivation and nutritional advice for those wanting to emulate Gregg's own journey - he shed five stone after overhauling his lifestyle - and drop some pounds.

Gregg's foray back onto social media understandably shows how importantly he views his business. On Instagram, the protein pancakes video was swiftly followed by a similar post for breakfast crumble. 'Healthy shouldn't be dull, expensive or difficult,' was the brief missive accompanying the latter. On Thursday night Gregg shared his third meal inspiration video of the week - veggie noodles; while Friday morning there was a post in praise of cottage cheese.