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A U.S. Supreme Court case on gender affirming care for teens will likely have major implications for transgender rights nationwide, but Montana’s unique state Constitution could safeguard protections nevertheless, an ACLU attorney says. In question at the nation’s highest court is a 2023 Tennessee state law that prohibits trans youth from receiving medical treatments prescribed to help them transition such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy. It’s very similar to from the last legislative session, which banned a slew of procedures and treatments used for gender dysphoria, the psychiatric condition that creates distress for a person whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. SB 99, titled "Montana’s Youth Protection Act," was temporarily blocked by a Missoula district court judge last year, days before it was set to go into effect. asks whether the Tennessee transgender health care ban is tantamount to discrimination under the federal Constitution’s equal protection clause. President Joe Biden’s administration brought the legal challenge, arguing Tennessee’s law should be overturned on these grounds. Lawyers representing the state of Tennessee contend that though the law applies specifically to trans teens, it should not trigger the greater legal standard required to protect against sex-based discrimination. Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments on Tuesday. A decision is not expected until July, though it appears likely that the conservative majority will rule in favor of Tennessee. Trans rights advocates worry such a ruling could open the door to all kinds of targeted restrictions. Alex Rate, legal director for ACLU of Montana, said the outcome of the case should not directly impact ongoing efforts to overturn SB 99 because of the unique protections in the Montana Constitution that go beyond federal law. The federal Constitution sets the floor, “below which we cannot go,” Rate explains, but states have the power to determine the ceiling, which means they can grant individuals greater protections that expand on federal liberties. Abortion rights are an illustrative example of how these differences between state and federal law can play out. When overturned federal abortion protections, Montana’s constitutional right to privacy continued to ensure access to reproductive health care. Chase Scheuer, press secretary for Attorney General Austin Knudsen, urged the United States Supreme Court to uphold the Tennessee law. When Gov. Greg Gianforte signed SB 99 into law in April 2023, the ACLU promptly filed a lawsuit against it representing three families with transgender youth and two medical providers who work with transgender youth. The case, then resulted in a preliminary injunction against SB 99 from a Montana state district court judge, “is unlikely to survive any level of constitutional review” and “barring access to gender affirming care would negatively impact gender dysphoric minors’ mental and physical health.” According to Rate, Montana’s equal protection clause is more specific than its federal counterpart and has been interpreted by state courts to provide greater protections. Additionally, he argues the state’s robust right to privacy encompasses decisions made between parents, transgender teens and their health care providers. Scheuer had a different take. "The Supreme Court’s decision could undercut the ACLU’s similar attack on SB99 in Montana as well," he said in a statement to the Montana State News Bureau. Should a new U.S. Congress pass federal legislation banning gender affirming care for transgender youth, for example, that could negate the ability of Montana health providers to offer the care, despite the state Constitution. There’s not a lot of law on transgender rights in Montana, which means there isn’t a great amount of legal precedent at the state level. It’s possible Montana courts could defer to federal decisions at the Supreme Court or elsewhere when thinking about a legal framework for analyzing the constitutionality of SB 99 or other future laws. “One would hope that a faithful interpretation of our state Constitution would lead to a potentially different result than what’s happening at the federal end,” Rate said. Gianforte continues to support SB 99 and other restrictions on health care for transgender youth like the one in Tennessee. He filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in October urging justices to uphold the Tennessee law on the basis that it allows youth to “have the freedom to grow up unhampered by improper interests and agendas and with access to appropriate tools and resources to promote both their development and ultimate success in society.” The governor’s administration applied many of the same arguments in the amicus brief as it has when supporting SB 99. It argues that medical treatments for gender dysphoria are “permanent, invasive, and life-altering” and that the state doesn’t seek to limit them for adults, only minor children. As of Aug., 26 states, including Montana, had passed some kind of ban against gender dysphoria health care for high school-aged youth. A majority are either currently tied up in litigation or temporarily blocked by the courts. Gender affirming care is considered safe, effective and medically necessary by major professional health associations, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Endocrine Society. Oral arguments for are scheduled for June.The NHS is at risk of paralysis while it waits for Wes Streeting’s 10-year plan for reform and needs to be empowered to get on with change in the face of huge waiting times for care, a thinktank has said. Victor Adebowale, a cross-bench peer and chair of the Institute for Public Policy Research, said a clear message is needed from Streeting that leaders in the health service should be able to start bringing in reforms where they are aligned with the government’s priorities. He described long waits for care as “the tragic new normal” for many patients in the NHS and highlighted IPPR analysis showing that 25 times more people waited over four hours in A&E this summer than during the same period in 2010. Lord Adebowale is also chair of the NHS Confederation, the membership body for health authorities and trusts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Writing in his role as IPPR chair, he said several senior NHS leaders have described to the thinktank “a feeling of ‘sitting and waiting’ for the 10-year plan, unable to initiate major change in the meantime”. He wrote in a blog , exclusively shared with the Guardian: “A system in which local leaders have long been expected to look ‘upwards’ for instruction generates paralysing uncertainty, disempowerment and leadership churn . “This must be replaced by a clear message from the secretary of state that leaders should not wait for the NHS 10-year plan, but get on with reform aligned with the government’s three shifts: towards prevention, digital, and community-based care. Leaders should be empowered to work towards these goals now, with the reassurance that these efforts will not be wasted.” Adebowale, also a charity founder, said better data-sharing in Greater Manchester between GPs, ambulance services, hospitals and social care had driven improvements after careful planning and staff consultation, adding: “This could begin today.” He also said spending in primary and community care should increase relative to hospitals, which should be a firm expectation for 2025-26 financial plans, due to be drafted before the 10-year plan is released. Adebowale said two more immediate steps were also needed: for Streeting to add a fourth priority of local empowerment rather than national micromanagement; and better continuous engagement with NHS staff to improve morale. “Otherwise, this promising [10-year] plan may fall on barren soil, leading to deeper crisis each winter to come,” he said. He also highlighted new IPPR analysis data showing that NHS is facing “the coldest winter on record” when it comes to its performance. Adebowale said this year from July to September compared with a similar period in 2009 people waiting for diagnostic scans have tripled, and the number waiting more than 18 weeks for elective care is up twelvefold. “Worse, 25 times more people waited over four hours in A&E, affecting over 1.6 million people across the quarter,” he said. “The target is not the point here, safety is – with hundreds of thousands facing even more dangerous waits over 12 hours .” Waiting lists for hospital treatment reached a peak of 7.7 million in September 2023 after climbing sharply during the pandemic. Keir Starmer’s government has said it will take at least five years for the backlog in elective treatment to be cleared. A few months after becoming health secretary, Streeting launched a consultation on how the NHS should change, which will run until spring 2025. It is canvassing the views of public, patients, carers and NHS staff for ideas on how to make the health service fit for the future. He also commissioned a review on the state of the NHS in England from Lord Darzi, who found that long delays for hospital, GP and mental health services are leading to thousands of unnecessary deaths and have ruptured “the social contract between the NHS and the people”. The study was cited by Starmer, who warned that the NHS has to “reform or die”. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Adebowale said Streeting was right to put NHS reform at the top of the agenda with his 10-year plan for health, which is intended to “fix the foundations” of the health service. But he said moves to lay the groundwork for change were needed immediately and Streeting’s reform plan “risks being crowded out by the immediate crisis”. In terms of staff engagement, he said staff need to be consulted locally as well as at national level in relation to the 10-year plan. “The 10-year plan is laudable for its extensive national-level consultation, speaking with staff across the country and at every level to identify challenges and routes to improvement. Yet meaningful engagement cannot be delivered in a one-off session,” he said, arguing that every frontline professional can describe a long list of frustrations that waste time and stand in the way of patient care. He said that as one regional surgical lead explained: “Staff feel far less ownership and ability to improve services in their patch than a decade ago.” The IPPR highlighted the example of NHS “staff boards” at Barking, Havering and Redbridge, in east London, which has helped to unlock new ideas, boost morale and reduce staff vacancies. In terms of a new goal of local empowerment, he said the government should make clear it is prepared to champion success stories, and back local efforts with money, support, and autonomy. “To take root, change must begin now,” he said. “Embarking on these three steps today could give the bandwidth to break out of perpetual crisis and prepare the fertile ground to implement the 10 Year Plan when it arrives.” A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are committed to making the NHS fit for the future, which is a key mission within our Plan for Change. “That’s why we’re focused on slashing huge waiting lists we have inherited so people can be seen faster and through our 10-Year-Plan we will make the crucial reforms to make our healthcare service work better for everyone. “We have already made progress, and are backing wider improvements in the NHS with a record £22 billion investment in day to day spending, with a further £3 billion capital spending which will include hospital repairs and new equipment.”‘Let’s not panic’: Canada picks up the pieces after Latvia loss at world juniors
Murray State beats Loyola Chicago 71-68 for 7th place at the Diamond Head ClassicOpenAI Launches ChatGPT Pro for $200 a MonthSaudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Research, Development, and Innovation Authority (RDIA) has announced the launch of its 2025 Research Grants on Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) National Priorities, marking a significant step toward advancing the Kingdom’s research, development, and innovation ecosystem. Applications for the grants are now open, empowering researchers and innovators to deliver pioneering research and innovations that address national priorities while strengthening Saudi Arabia’s leadership in the RDI sector. The 2025 grants are structured into four main programs designed to support various stages of research, development, and innovation. These programs are the Saudi Basic Science Program, the Saudi Applied Research and Technology Program, the Saudi Emerging Investigator Program, and the Flagship Research Program. Together, these programs align with RDI National Priorities : Health and Wellness; Sustainable Environment and Supply of Essential Needs; Energy and Industrial Leadership; and Economies of the Future. The Saudi Basic Science Program aims to explore new scientific frontiers and lay the foundation for future research efforts. It offers grants to support researchers in addressing fundamental challenges and advancing scientific understanding in priority fields. Additionally, it promotes partnerships through research consortium grants, enabling ambitious projects that foster collaboration between institutions and teams. The Saudi Applied Research and Technology Program is dedicated to accelerating applied research innovations and transforming them into practical technological and economic solutions. It includes grants for prototype development, rapid advancement of promising technologies, and strategic partnerships between academia and industry to address market-driven challenges. The Saudi Emerging Investigator Program focuses on nurturing early-career researchers by supporting their first research projects. This program is designed to enable researchers to grow and excel in their fields. The Flagship Research Program is tailored to drive research in critical areas essential to RDI National Priorities. It provides grants for organizations to address pressing challenges, accelerates the commercialization of advanced technologies, and promotes collaborative efforts between academia, industry, and government to tackle multidisciplinary challenges requiring shared expertise. These programs target a wide range of stakeholders, including researchers, innovators, faculty members, and specialists at Saudi universities. They also extend to national research centers, endowed chairs, and organizations across government, private, and nonprofit sectors. Entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium-sized tech enterprises are also encouraged to participate. RDIA will monitor participants’ progress based on key performance indicators, including returns from tech startups, patents, awards, investment attraction, research participation, and overall economic and social impacts. RDIA invites individuals, research institutions, companies, and other stakeholders to explore the details of 2025 Research Grants by visiting https://saudiminds . rdia.gov.sa/account/national - priorities < Previous Page Next Page >
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Watch the latest Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 trailer to learn more about the story of Henry of Skalitz, and dive into the medieval world of this upcoming RPG sequel. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 follows Henry, a young man seeking justice for his murdered parents, as he embarks on an epic journey where his morality and integrity are tested. With blood feuds and political conspiracies unraveling, Henry’s choices will ultimately shape his destiny. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 will be available on PC, PS5 (PlayStation 5), and Xbox Series X|S on February 4, 2025.The Chicago Blackhawks did something few expected on Thursday, firing head coach Luke Richardson after an 8-16-2 start to the 2024-25 NHL Season. After finishing in second to last place last season with a 23-53-6 record, the Chicago Blackhawks went out and boosted their roster . General manager Kyle Davidson added players like Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi, Pat Maroon, TJ Brodie, Alex Martinez and Ily Mikheyev to the organization looking to make the team better. Yet, this season has seen the Blackhawks be nothing near better. Connor Bedard has struggled with just five goals in 26 games; Bertuzzi and Teravainen have rarely been used at five on five with Bedard; and it seems like most night the Hawks are finding different ways to lose close games. The Hawks latest four game losing streak was enough for general manager Kyle Davidson to fire his first head coach he hired in Richardson. The Blackhawks announced the coaching change in a news release at 4 p.m. “Today I made the difficult decision to move on from Luke as our head coach. We thank him for his efforts and contributions to the organization and our community,” Davidson said in a statement. “As we have begun to take steps forward in our rebuilding process, we felt that the results did not match our expectations for a higher level of execution this season and ultimately came to the decision that a change was necessary. We wish Luke and his family all the best moving forward.” The Blackhawks making the coaching change right now sends a clear message that management expects more out of the rebuilding squad. The Blackhawks also announced Anders Sorensen, head coach of the Rockford IceHogs, as the new interim head coach. Blackhawks assistant G.M. Mark Eaton will assume coaching responsibilities in Rockford. The Blackhawks will play their next game on Saturday at home against the Winnipeg Jets. This is the second major coaching change in the Windy City within the past week after the Chicago Bears fired Matt Eberflus last Friday. This article first appeared on Chicago Hockey Now and was syndicated with permission.
Buying a house in 2025: your how-to guideThe ongoing Canada Post strike has reached the three-week mark as the two sides continue to trade proposals through a government-appointed mediator. The work stoppage centres around a variety of issues, including disputes over wages and weekend delivery. Here’s a snapshot of the issues underpinning the standoff between the Crown corporation and union. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers, which represents 55,000 Canada Post workers, said at the start of the strike that wage increases must be kept in line with inflation, with cost-of-living adjustment payments rolled into the basic wage rate. The union initially called for a cumulative wage hike of 24 per cent over four years. CUPW negotiator Jim Gallant said that figure has moved since the start of negotiations, but declined to comment on the union’s latest proposal. “We have just lived through the worst cost of living crisis in a generation,” the union’s national president Jan Simpson said in a post on Tuesday. Canada Post says it has offered what it calls “competitive” wage increases totalling 11.5 per cent over four years and more paid leave. It notes labour costs rose by $242 million in 2023, or about 6.5 per cent, compared with 2022. The organization declined to comment on Thursday. One of the main snags in negotiations has been a push to expand delivery to the weekend, but the two sides are at odds over how to staff the expansion. Canada Post has pitched seven-day-a-week delivery as a way to boost revenue and “secure the future of the company” as it struggles to compete with other delivery companies. The Crown corporation says it would staff weekend delivery shifts with a mix of new permanent part-time positions and some full-time, which would “create flexibility while not adding significant long-term fixed costs.” But the union characterizes Canada Post’s proposals as “attacks on full-time work,” accusing the Crown corporation of wanting to increase the part-time mix to more than 50 per cent of the workforce. It says it is concerned some part-timers could be scheduled for as few as eight hours per week and wouldn’t be eligible for benefits until they reach 1,000 hours. “Canada Post has every ability today to deliver parcels on the weekend, inside our collective agreement at straight time,” Gallant said in an interview. “We think it can be done with full-timers ... We’re just saying, ‘Instead of hiring 10 part-timers, you can hire three full time.” The union has highlighted a number of its demands for better job security, including a request for “improved protections against technological change.” Gallant said Canada Post is “always looking for new technology” that could threaten workers’ duties. “This loading and unloading of trucks by robots is one that they’re really, really looking at (and) forklifts that drive themselves through a plant,” he said. “We’re always afraid.” When it comes to retirement, CUPW says Canada Post wants new workers to accept a defined contribution pension plan, even though its defined benefit pension plan is overfunded by 140 per cent. “All workers deserve the right to retire with dignity, and for us, that means postal workers — present and future — maintain their defined benefit pension plan,” Simpson said. Canada Post says its proposals are “focused on protecting and enhancing what’s important to current employees ... while protecting the defined benefit pension and their job security.” The union has said it wants job security rights for rural and suburban mail carriers in line with those granted to urban postal workers. It has outlined a number of issues affecting its Rural Suburban Mail Carrier bargaining unit, saying it wants an hourly rate system with appropriate time values, union involvement and “safeguards against (Canada Post’s) unilateral change.” The union says Canada Post must maximize and maintain eight-hour routes for rural workers, grant improved rights for on-call relief employees, and uphold paid meal and rest period rights. It says the Crown corporation must also ensure the bargaining unit’s involvement in service expansion projects. Earlier this week, Simpson called on Canada Post to commit to working with the union “to expand services at the post office including postal banking and electric vehicle charging stations.” The union has demanded the full elimination of Canada Post’s “separate sort from delivery” system, which entails certain employees spending the entirety of their shifts sorting mail for letter carriers to go out and deliver — as opposed to carriers performing both tasks. It says this system overburdens carriers, who as a result spend more time outdoors and potentially exposed to extreme weather events. “Postal workers suffer the second highest rate of disabling injury among workers under federal jurisdiction, behind only the road transportation sector,” Simpson said. “Growing neighbourhood mail volumes and changing work methods like separate sort-from-delivery are only making things worse.” The union has also proposed increases to short-term disability program payments and injury on duty payments, along with more paid medical days. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5,2024.
South Koreans remain deeply disturbed by what President Yoon Suk Yeol did to the nation this week. His misguided and perplexing declaration of the short-lived martial law has caused a whirlwind of outrage, confusion and conflict. Why and how he managed to do something so erratic is not yet clear; what’s certain, however, is that he has touched off a sweeping firestorm of embarrassment across Korean society. The most immediate and widely expected consequence of the martial law decree is a political showdown over the opposition party-led impeachment motion against him. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea said it would push for a vote Saturday for an impeachment motion against Yoon over his aborted martial law declaration that shocked the entire nation and the world. The Democratic Party and Yoon's detractors are now trying to remove him from the presidency, but the outlook for impeachment remains uncertain as Han Dong-hoon, leader of the ruling People Power Party, said Thursday he will work hard with his party to block the motion's passage. Han said his decision was not to defend Yoon’s “unconstitutional martial law” but to prevent a chaotic situation that could hurt the public. Han’s stated position heralds a rocky path for the impeachment motion since it requires a two-thirds majority to pass parliament. Of the 300-member National Assembly, the opposition bloc needs at least eight votes from the ruling party to pass the bill. The contrasting stance of the rival parties over the need for impeachment is expected to further deepen the level of conflict in the country’s political circles. Adding to the political tension, the opposition-controlled National Assembly on Thursday passed impeachment motions against Board of Audit and Inspection Chair Choe Jae-hae and three top prosecutors over their roles in the relocation of the presidential office and issues involving first lady Kim Keon Hee. Yoon’s martial law decree also put Korea’s financial and business sectors on edge. On Wednesday, foreign investors dumped stocks valued at 600 billion won ($423 million) and the Korean currency plunged to a two-year low against the US dollar at one point before regaining some of its value thanks to a pledge by the financial authorities to supply liquidity. Experts noted that markets are now in a better condition than expected, but if political turmoil continues and uncertainty about the government’s economic policy increases, the overall credit rating of the Korean economy could suffer a setback. International credit rating agencies like S&P have given high marks to Korea’s reliable and consistent policies. But Korea’s political risks, globally exposed by Yoon's abrupt martial law declaration, are feared to undermine the country's sovereign ratings among foreign investors. As for relations with the US and other neighboring countries, there is no doubt that Yoon’s martial law declaration has generated negative reactions. For instance, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said the US was watching the development with “grave concern.” Diplomatic events involving the US, Japan and other countries are being delayed or canceled, reflecting heightened political and social tensions in Korea. It is deeply regrettable that Yoon has complicated Korea’s political situation and dragged down its international stature overnight. More worrisome is that the negative impact could last longer than expected, spilling into other sectors -- a sorry development that the government must prevent with all resources and measures available.FedEx Corp. stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitors
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GREGG Wallace may be entirely edited out of the next series of MasterChef to ensure it can be broadcast. It's been a tumultuous week for the greengrocer, 60, who quit the BBC show as he is investigated for a barrage of off-screen misconduct complaints. 4 Gregg Wallace may be entirely edited out of the next series of MasterChef Credit: BBC But Gregg completed filming the upcoming installment alongside his co-host John Torode, 59, just last month. While The Professionals spin-off continues to air, MasterChef Celebrity's Christmas specials have been canned. The Beeb has stated its future will depend on the results of an ongoing investigation. And a production insider has claimed removing Gregg from the episodes is a viable option. read more on Gregg Wallace shock story Victoria Derbyshire recoils as Gregg Wallace’s ghostwriter reveals sex comment heating up Gregg Wallace’s TV rival ‘pulls ahead in race to replace him on MasterChef’ The source told MailOnline , "John and Gregg were always shot with separate cameras. "Any two-shots or wide angles featuring both presenters can be edited. Removing Gregg entirely is a challenging but achievable task." John has continued filming abroad, with Irish chef Anna Haugh stepping in to replace Gregg. Anna, a familiar face to the show’s audience, joined John to provide feedback to contestants in Gregg’s absence. Most read in Reality Trial champ First star confirmed for I’m A Celebrity’s iconic Cyclone as they win immunity Vote Chaos I'm A Celeb in fix row as fans left furious by delayed voting Flirty Hint MAFS groom fuels ‘affair’ rumours as he brands bride 'female version of me' edited out Married At First Sight bosses forced to step in and cut violent scenes from show Filming for the upcoming season concluded earlier this week. The series had been scheduled for a Spring 2025 release, but its air date is now uncertain. Moment visibly horrified Victoria Derbyshire recoils as Gregg Wallace’s ghostwriter reveals stomach churning Eton Mess sex comment to her Despite the sudden change, production sources praised the smooth transition. Another source said, "It couldn’t have gone better given the circumstances. Anna Haugh was brilliant, and the team worked hard to keep the atmosphere calm for the amateur finalists." Editing Gregg out of pre-recorded material is not without precedent for the BBC. In past instances, individuals accused of misconduct have been removed from shows before broadcast. 4 John Torode repeatedly raised concerns about Gregg's behaviour on MasterChef — but no action was taken Credit: BBC 4 Torode was unhappy about some of Wallace’s on-set language Credit: BBC A contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race was removed from an entire season following accusations of inappropriate behavior. And TV presenter Jay Blades , who was charged last month with physically and emotionally abusing his wife, has not been featured in episodes of The Repair Shop that were pre-recorded. Representatives for Banijay and Gregg have been contacted for comment. Tonight, The Sun revealed John repeatedly raised concerns about Gregg's behaviour on MasterChef — but no action was taken. The chef was unhappy about some of Wallace’s on-set language and was aware of his bullish reputation, pals say. The Aussie is understood to have spoken to officials at production firm Banijay about his co-host. He and actress wife Lisa Faulkner are now keen to publicly distance themselves from the scandal, viewing it as a PR disaster. Last night, a source said: “John is not stupid — of course, he was aware of some of Gregg’s less savoury behaviour . He did not condone it, and nor did he engage with it. He does not have a machismo sense of humour and when he made that comment about the pair of them not being friends in real life , he knew what he was doing. “It was his way of distancing himself when attempts to do it otherwise failed. “He repeatedly flagged his behaviour and poor-taste remarks to execs on set and made clear he wasn’t happy. It was never a formal complaint, rather a series of spoken concerns raised. “He does not know whether any formal record was ever made but the sense he got was that bosses needed to protect the MasterChef brand at all costs and that meant turning a blind eye. “He and Lisa are mortified with the fall-out, and are considering hiring a PR to help handle the situation and extract themselves as quickly as possible.” Wallace is accused of making sexual remarks to staff and guests across multiple programmes over 17 years, as well as allegations of groping colleagues and contestants . He denies any behaviour of a sexually harassing nature and has stepped back from MasterChef while Banijay UK investigates. MasterChef Hosts in Feud: Gregg Wallace vs John Torode This week, John wrote on Instagram: “I love my job, and I love MasterChef. I love being part of it and will continue to be part of it. “The thought of anyone who has appeared on our show not having a brilliant experience is awful to hear and I have found the recent Press reports truly upsetting. John is not stupid — of course, he was aware of some of Gregg’s less savoury behaviour. He did not condone it, and nor did he engage with it A source “But as I hope everyone appreciates, there is an investigation under way, which I fully support, so I cannot make any further comment at this stage, and I hope that you all understand and respect my silence on the matter moving forward.” His wife Lisa, 52, whom he met on Celebrity MasterChef in 2010, reposted his message. They and Wallace, 60, no longer follow each other on Instagram — a move the Londoner prompted as he is reportedly devastated that his co-presenter did not back him. John was best man at his co-host’s fourth wedding in 2016. Read more on the Scottish Sun DECEMBER MISERY Scots face blizzards and travel chaos as weather map reveals 75mph storm WORLD WIDE WEB My dad played for Rangers and now I plan to follow in his footsteps at Ibrox But in an interview the following year, he said pair “weren’t really friends” — which Wallace later claimed earned him a “telling off” from BBC bosses. A spokesperson for John, who has presented MasterChef with Wallace since 2005, did not respond to requests for comment. Gregg Wallace's career to date Gregg Wallace has been a familiar face on TV for years now thanks to his role as a judge on MasterChef - but let's take a closer look at his career so far... Gregg Wallace left school at 15 and started his career working on a fruit and veg stall in London. In 1989, he started George Allan's Greengrocers, a company that grew to a turnover of £7.5 million. Gregg's experience in the world of fruit and veg lead to him co-hosting Veg Talk on BBC Radio 4 with Charlie Hicks for seven years. He then became the first host of Saturday Kitchen in 2002, a role he held for a year before being replaced by Antony Worrall Thompson in 2003. At the same time, Gregg presented a number of food-related TV specials, including Veg Out for the Discovery Channel. Gregg landed his most notable TV role as a co-presenter and judge on BBC's competitive cooking show MasterChef in 2005. He stars alongside John Torode. In 2010 Gregg pursued another life-long dream of opening a restaurant. He opened the establishment Wallace & Co. in Putney. Then, in 2012, he opened Gregg's Bar & Grill in a joint venture with the Bermondsey Square Hotel. Gregg then scored a hosting gig with the BBC, presenting the documentary Supermarket Secrets in August 2013. Unfortunately, times were tough for Gregg, and in the same month, it was reported that one of his companies, West Veg Limited, had folded, owing more than £500,000. In 2014, both of his restaurants folded, with Wallace & Co owing suppliers £150,000. However, his TV career continued to thrive, and in 2015 became the regularly host of the award-winning documentary food series Eat Well for Less? Gregg helmed the show for eight years before stepping away. He also competed on Strictly Come Dancing . Gregg then made Telly history again when he revived the BBC's historical game show Time Commanders. More recently, the celebrity chef has presented a number of travel programmes such as Big Weekends with Gregg Wallace, South Africa with Gregg Wallace, and the food mockumentary, Gregg Wallace: The British Miracle Meat . 4 Gregg - who denies all allegations put against him - issued a video apology for recent comments Credit: PAReview: The Anker Solix C300 rewrites the compact portable power station rule book