WASHINGTON (AP) — La Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos permitió el avance de una multimillonaria demanda colectiva de inversores contra Meta, la empresa matriz de Facebook, derivada del escándalo de privacidad relacionado con la firma de consultoría política Cambridge Analytica. Los jueces escucharon argumentos en noviembre, en el intento de Meta de cerrar la demanda. El viernes, decidieron que se equivocaron al aceptar el caso. El tribunal superior desestimó la apelación de la empresa, dejando en pie una decisión de apelación que permite que el caso avance. Los inversores alegan que Meta no divulgó plenamente los riesgos de que la información personal de los usuarios de Facebook fuera mal utilizada por Cambridge Analytica, una empresa que apoyó la primera campaña presidencial de Donald Trump como candidato republicano en 2016. La insuficiencia de las divulgaciones provocó dos importantes caídas en el precio de las acciones de la empresa en 2018, cuando el público se enteró del alcance del escándalo de privacidad, dicen los inversores. El portavoz de Meta, Andy Stone, dijo que la empresa estaba decepcionada por la acción del tribunal. “Las reclamaciones del demandante son infundadas y seguiremos defendiéndonos mientras el Tribunal de Distrito analiza el caso”, dijo Stone en un comunicado enviado por correo electrónico. RELATED COVERAGE Juez aplaza sentencia de Trump en caso de dinero por silencio para decidir próximos pasos del caso Exnovia de Jonathan Majors retira demanda por agresión y difamación contra el actor Juez reduce la pena de prisión a asaltante del Capitolio que lo insultó Meta ya pagó una multa de 5.100 millones de dólares y alcanzó un acuerdo de privacidad por 725 millones de dólares con los usuarios. Cambridge Analytica tenía vínculos con el estratega político de Trump, Steve Bannon. Pagó a un desarrollador de aplicaciones de Facebook para acceder a la información personal de unos 87 millones de usuarios de la popular red social. Esa información fue luego utilizada para dirigirse a los votantes estadounidenses durante la campaña de 2016. La demanda es uno de dos casos de la Corte Suprema relacionados con demandas colectivas contra empresas tecnológicas. Los jueces también deben decidir si cierran una demanda colectiva contra Nvidia. Los inversores dicen que la empresa los engañó sobre su dependencia de la venta de chips informáticos para la minería de criptomonedas volátiles. ___ Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.Taylor Swift has made a surprise stop at a Kansas City children’s hospital, shocking parents and patients alike as she laughed with them, posed for photos and exchanged gifts. All parent Cassie Thomas was told beforehand was that she might want to brush her hair and teeth because there was going to be a special visitor. But she was stunned when Swift, fresh off her Eras Tour and one day before her 35th birthday, walked into her son's room on Thursday at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. “No rumors. Like, we literally had absolutely no idea this was happening,” Thomas recalled. Her 13-year-old son, Beckett Thomas, is a cancer patient and a fan of Swift's Kansas City Chiefs tight-end boyfriend, Travis Kelce. Beckett uses a 3D printer to make earrings bearing his and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' names, walking around the hospital unit selling them to nurses. Now, Swift has a pair as well. “She was amazing,” Beckett's mom said. “So down to earth.” Another patient told Swift that her favorite song was “Love Story" and they later discussed the song “Paper Rings,” in which Swift sings, “I'd marry you with paper rings.” When their conversation veered to discussion of San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, whose team played the Chiefs in the Super Bowl earlier this year, Swift expressed surprise. “Brock Purdy, What? I mean, I don’t mind Brock Purdy.” Swift said, then continued: “He put me through a lot last February.” Asked before the Super Bowl whether he was prepared to disappoint Swift, Purdy responded: “Yes.” The game ended with Mahomes rallying the Chiefs to their second straight Super Bowl title, 25-22 over the 49ers in overtime. “I was very stressed for a second but it all ended up fine,” Swift told the girl, their recorded conversation posted online. The girl then chimed in: “I like Travis now.” Swift responded with: “Me too. That’s an absolute yes on that one." There is no word on whether Swift will be in the stands when the Chiefs play the Browns on Sunday in Kelce’s hometown of Cleveland.
Trump threatens to try to take back the Panama Canal. Panama's president balks at the suggestion
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots are focused on the future following their 25-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts . The Patriots (3-10) were officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss Sunday, meaning that this week’s bye in many ways will begin the process of the coaching staff and front office evaluating the roster for 2025. The good news is that this group has shown plenty of grit this season, playing seven games that were decided by one score. The bad news is that the Patriots are just 2-5 in those games. Though New England’s bye comes late in the season, coach Jerod Mayo said the timing is perfect for a team that is feeling the effects of its shortcomings . “A much-needed bye week, not only physically for the players but also mentally, just being able to hit the reset button and come back, put some good games together and continue to build for the future,” Mayo said. “That has to be our goal.” Tight end Austin Hooper said the seed that needs to be planted over the final four games is finding a way to limit the mistakes — namely penalties and trouble finishing drives — that have hampered the offense throughout the season. “We’ve got to execute at a higher level. We can’t beat a team before you stop hurting yourself,” Hooper said. “It’s not for lack of effort, just things that happen out there that get you scars in this league.” This was the most balanced performance by the offense this season, with 222 passing yards and a season-high 200 yards rushing. It shows progress under new coordinator Alex Van Pelt, which is something to build on over the final four games. Red zone efficiency. It continues to be the most glaring deficiency for the Patriots’ offense. They were 2 of 6 on Sunday and rank 30th in the NFL, scoring a touchdown only 44.7% (17 of 38) of the time inside the 20-yard line. TE Hunter Henry. He finished with seven catches for 75 yards, which is his seventh game this season with five or more receptions. He leads the team this season with 58 catches for 610 yards and continues to be a dependable option for quarterback Drake May as he navigates his rookie season. K Joey Slye. He made 3 of his 5 field-goal attempts, including a 54-yarder in the second quarter. Most of the conversation following the game was about his NFL record-long 68-yard attempt that came up short as time expired. But because of the 1-point loss, he was lamenting the 25-yard attempt he missed wide left just before halftime. “I take full responsibility for this,” Slye said. “Every point for this team matters with how we play complementary football with offense, defense and special teams. So, whenever I am out there, I have got to score points.” Henry left the game in the first quarter after a helmet-to-helmet hit. He was able to return in the second quarter and finished the game. 7 — Number of penalties called on the Patriots, costing them 88 yards. Five penalties (four accepted) were called on the offensive line. That included one for holding on Mike Onwenu that nullified a touchdown run by Rhamondre Stevenson in the first quarter and forced New England to settle for a field goal. The Patriots have a bye this week. They visit the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 15. AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Generative AI tools snuck into the pockets of millions more Australians this week as Apple launched its big push into the technology. or signup to continue reading The software updates delivered to smartphones, computers and tablets promise to help users compose stories and messages, edit images or create them and identify objects from the real world. But Apple's AI tools come almost a full year after its biggest rival launched artificial intelligence in smartphones and four months after one of the world's biggest tech companies made its AI play. Industry experts say Apple may still have one big drawcard for consumers, however, and it relies on keeping its promise to keep their personal information private. Apple Intelligence features arrived inside software updates delivered to the company's devices on Thursday. Rather than appear in a single app, the US tech giant has scattered AI tools throughout its menus, offering writing assistance in its own apps like Notes, for example, as well as those from third parties, and notification summaries from all apps as they arrive. Apple's AI additions also offer a photo-editing tool that removes objects in images and Visual Intelligence that uses photos to search for real-world objects. The company's AI tools have taken longer to arrive than many expected, University of the Sunshine Coast computer science lecturer Dr Erica Mealy says, but Apple could not avoid making an investment in the popular technology. "Apple had to put AI in their devices or they were definitely going to be left behind but I don't think that's necessarily a disadvantage because Apple often does that and does it better," she says. "They are more of an everyman's technology company, whereas some of the others tend to bring out the technology really soon." Apple's biggest rival, Samsung, launched Galaxy AI in its devices in January and Google followed in August, bringing more Gemini-powered tools to the latest generation of Pixel smartphones for rewriting text, producing images and even swapping faces in photographs. The iPhone's AI delay might not be the drawback it seems on paper, Dr Mealy says, if the company can convince customers their take on the technology is more practical and private. "Their approach is refreshing because a lot of the others are saying, 'AI is here, let's give all the data to AI,' and they're forgetting the fact that for the AI to be aware it needs to watch us constantly," she says. "If (Apple) can tell users a story about keeping more privacy or about how they are doing AI better that will be interesting to see." Apple's AI approach is different in that features are not only spread across apps but use two models: the company's own Apple Intelligence system and OpenAI's ChatGPT. In the first instance, AI requests on Apple devices are handled by the company's own platform, with processing on the device itself or on a Private Cloud Compute server that does not retain the data. More complex AI tasks such as composing stories or answering challenging queries posed to Siri can be handed over to ChatGPT but only if the user grants permission. Tasks handed over to ChatGPT remain anonymous, unless the user decides to sign into the service. The partnership of Apple and OpenAI is an unexpected one, Telsyte managing director Foad Fadaghi says, but could prove beneficial for both parties if it's handled well. "It's pulling Apple out of its comfort zone," he says. "Going out to ChatGPT was probably a very difficult decision for Apple to have made and it's to indicate to users Apple features are not going to be behind the times or antiquated." Apple will face significant challenges to ensure its own AI system keeps pace with that of standalone apps, such as Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and Meta AI, Mr Fadaghi says but consumers will demand it. One in five Australian consumers say they will consider AI when upgrading their smartphone, according to Telyste research, and that figure rises to one in four for consumers who regularly use AI tools. "Consumers are thinking about what they might need in four or five years' time when buying handsets now," Mr Fadaghi says. "Devices that don't have AI-ready hardware are going to be less attractive." The additional of AI features is a key consideration for some phone buyers, Kantar Worldpanel global consumer insights director Jack Hamlin says. Twelve per cent of Google Pixel buyers say AI features are key to their choice, he says, even though sales of the smartphones did not rise this year. AI IN YOUR POCKET: 5 APPLE INTELLIGENCE FEATURES Smarter Siri: The AI-boosted voice assistant can respond to queries posed in natural language, features a new glowing light, more voice choices and can summon assistance from ChatGPT if users permit it. AI images: A dedicated app called Image Playground can generate cartoons or illustrations based on themes or inspired by photographs, while a feature called Image Wand can turn a sketch in the Notes app into a polished image. Photo editing: Apple takes a light touch to photographic AI. Its Clean Up feature lets users select visual distractions to remove them, recording its use in metadata and it supports more detailed photo voice searches. Word-wrangling: An AI-powered feature called Writing Tools appears across apps including Notes, Pages, Mail and Messages. It can proofread, summarise or rewrite text in different styles. Additional text-generation is available using ChatGPT. Summaries: Useful if a group chat gets too chatty, Apple Intelligence can summarise notifications from apps including Mail and Messages and provide a summary of what is yet to be read. Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . Advertisement
BETHESDA, Md. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DiamondRock Hospitality Company (the "Company") DRH announced today it is the recipient of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts' ("Nareit") 2024 Leader in the Light Award for the lodging and resorts sector. The award recognizes member companies that demonstrate leadership in implementing sustainable and socially responsible investment and operating practices, good governance, and transparency. The 2024 Leader in the Light Awards are based on the results of the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) Annual Survey, as well as scored responses to supplemental questions by a panel of judges. The Company participated in the 2024 GRESB Real Estate Assessment for the ninth consecutive year and achieved Sector Leader Status and a #1 ranking among hotel peers for the fifth consecutive year. "We are extremely honored to receive Nareit's Leader in the Light award and also to be recognized by GRESB as a sector leader again. These acknowledgements highlight the Company's dedication to sustainable practices, social responsibility, and transparent governance," said Jeffery Donnelly , Chief Executive Officer of DiamondRock Hospitality Company. "We believe that integrating these principles into our investment and operating practices not only benefits our stakeholders but also contributes to a healthier planet and stronger communities. We remain committed to driving meaningful progress and setting the standard for sustainable leadership in the hospitality industry." GRESB Real Estate Assessment (2024) Awarded Sector Leader status across multiple public and private sectors: Global Listed Sector Leader/Hotel Regional Listed Sector Leader/Americas/Hotel Regional Sector Leader Americas/Hotel Awarded 4 Green Stars and achieved Green Star status for 7 th consecutive year GRESB Public Disclosure (2024) Ranked 1 st within the U.S. Hotels with a score of "A" compared to the Peer Group Average of "B" and the GRESB Global Average of "B" The GRESB Real Estate Assessment is the investor-driven global ESG benchmark and reporting framework for listed property companies, private property funds, developers and investors that invest directly in real estate. The Assessment is shaped by what investors and the industry consider to be material issues in the sustainability performance of real estate investments. The methodology is consistent across different regions, investment vehicles and property types and aligns with international reporting frameworks. About the Company DiamondRock Hospitality Company is a self-advised real estate investment trust (REIT) that is an owner of a leading portfolio of geographically diversified hotels concentrated in leisure destinations and top gateway markets. The Company currently owns 37 premium quality hotels and resorts with over 10,000 rooms. The Company has strategically positioned its portfolio to be operated both under leading global brand families as well as independent boutique hotels in the lifestyle segment. For further information on the Company and its portfolio, please visit DiamondRock Hospitality Company's website at www.drhc.com . About GRESB GRESB is a mission-driven and investor-led organization that provides actionable and transparent Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data to financial markets. For more information, visit www.gresb.com . View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/diamondrock-hospitality-receives-nareits-2024-leader-in-the-light-award-and-is-recognized-as-a-sector-leader-by-gresb-for-the-fifth-consecutive-year-302320125.html SOURCE DiamondRock Hospitality Company © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Helldivers 2 was on my radar pre-release, but from its first week I knew it was one of those games I'd be playing for a very long time. I've dabbled in lots of live service games without ever going full no-lifer on any of them and, being a middle-aged dad, Helldivers 2 instantly ticked a lot of the boxes I wanted: Quickfire sessions, simple and self-contained goals, and a real sense of progression atop that, which might be the game's greatest achievement of all. Helldivers 2 isn't just a game I like to play: It's a miniature social phenomenon I love watching play out. The Game Awards saw developer Arrowhead surprise-drop the game's long-awaited third faction, the Illuminate , alongside a bunch of other substantial new content and, just for good measure, a Warthog-style four-man space jeep. Off the bat they've revitalised Helldiver tactics and forced players to re-calibrate from the familiar foes to a much beefier, weirder challenge. It feels like the biggest change in the Galactic War to date, and the capstone on what has been an exceptionally well-planned and delivered first year (well OK, 10 months: The game released February 8, 2024). Rather than running through all the game's patches in chronological order, I'm going to hop around a bit to try and explain the elements that have made Helldivers 2 really sing as a living experience. And the single biggest factor is how Arrowhead engages with and responds to the community in an unprecedented fashion. These interactions are by far the strongest element of how Helldivers operates as a live experience: Arrowhead reacts fast and, more often than not, it reacts with humour and it reacts well. Like the time the Helldivers got it wrong and botched a Major Order at the last hurdle, and Super Earth issued a missive commending their "tactical brilliance." To take a few more examples, in August the Helldivers worked out how to short-circuit a Major Order and complete it by cheating . The Super Earth response was to ensure all non-cheating Helldivers got their rewards, while as for the cheaters... "Super Earth High Command has detected a large batch of counterfeit samples within the delivery of the last Major Order," read the in-game message. "As is customary, Medals have been awarded to all Helldivers who honorably performed their duties, and the ones submitting false samples have had their pet fish summarily executed." Another great example came a few months in, when the community struck upon the idea of the Martale Gambit . This involved liberating their own target planets with the idea of disrupting enemy supply chains and, much to their shock, game master Joel got involved: Offering a two-for-the-price-of-one deal on liberated planets if they pulled it off. The sad end to the Martale Gambit is that it came agonisingly close, but the Helldivers fell short at the last. Nevertheless it became such a rallying point that it subsequently inspired further, successful gambits outside of the game's own Major Orders, as well as the formation of groups like the Freedom Alliance to guide such efforts. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. "When the community manages to [pull off] gambits, that's where the galactic war shines," Arrowhead CCO Johann Pilestedt told PC Gamer in a new interview . "And it's something that we want to keep investing in." And finally, my favourite moment in the game to date: When the Helldivers were given a choice between unlocking a sweet new weapon or going in to save a 'Hospital for Very Sick Children.' You guessed it: No sick child will fall to the bugs while democracy's heroes breathe! The Helldivers absolutely smashed this MO and, in a nice gesture, Pilestedt and Arrowhead responded to the sentiment by donating $4,300 to Save the Children . Pilestedt is a great outspoken presence around the game, alongside the likes of community manager Twinbeard rallying the troops ( who recently spoke to us following his departure from the game), and perhaps the main character: Game master Joel. Arrowhead did a great job of building mystique around Joel , and of course the name quickly became a go-to reaction whenever something went wrong for the Helldivers. The CCO reveals in a new interview with PCG that Joel has now evolved into a hivemind or, to be more accurate, that was the case all along. "Joel is now a team of people working together, and it's always been like that," said Pilestedt. "There's a lot of people that make the world of Helldivers work, and the team has gotten better and better at working together with the community, figuring out what the community is going to enjoy." I think the only major misstep Helldivers 2 made in this opening year was one that the studio relatively quickly self-corrected on. The first few months of Helldivers 2 saw a whole load of balance patching, as Arrowhead tried to tamp-down overpowered weapons and strategies while making other options more viable. But this eventually ended up crimping the fun of the whole thing a little, and let's remember we're playing a PvE game with space cowboys shooting space robots, which Arrowhead itself came to belatedly realise in late summer. Solution? Screw the balance, bring on the buffs ! The studio set itself a 60-day schedule to make things more fun again, and from the first patch everything suddenly felt a lot more powerful. This is a game where the alien scum should be rightfully trembling at your loadout and, if Helldivers 2 lost sight of that for a moment, it quickly got back to where it should be . The flames of liberty shall forever burn bright! October was a big month because of the 26th, Liberty Day, and saw a fittingly gargantuan tribute as the Helldivers fought to protect the construction of a Democratic Space Station that is controlled by literal democracy (players vote on targets). Naturally the thing went live and immediately began incinerating Helldivers from orbit : Woopsies! And this is another of the game's many threads, set-ups that don't quite pay off like players expect. And Arrowhead does a great line in teases, fakeouts, and possibly deliberate leaks. The Illuminate were first glimpsed on the Galactic Map in early September, which Pilestedt immediately pooh-poohed and dismissed as " fake news ". There are dozens of other little bits. The running will-they won't-they battle over Anti-Tank mines , which for some reason players took against. The lovely day when the Helldivers cracked a Major Order at the very last minute and we all got awarded mechs . Mechs! The " T-pose of Democracy " glitch that players can use to avoid fall damage, which Arrowhead found so funny it's stayed in the game. The game got review-bombed over a Sony account controversy: Arrowhead made a cape commemorating it . Finally, as all of the above shows in some form, Helldivers 2 has a tone and it sticks to it. This is a comedy game that also takes itself seriously, and from the game's opening video you're sold on the galactic dystopia it presents, and the ludicrously bombastic ideals of Super Earth. Players talk to each other using the game's language, joke about reporting each other for infringements of democracy, and semi-inhabit the fiction outside of the game. Hell there's an official Super Earth anthem, and it really does make you want to jackboot some commie bugs into paste. Helldivers 2 has managed to tell a story that's quite unlike any other I've experienced in a game, and all we're really doing as players is going from planet to planet annihilating alien scum. None of this would work if the core of the game wasn't great, which it is, but what keeps me coming back for another quick session is catching up on where the Galactic War is at, what new wheezes my fellow Helldivers have cooked up, and what Arrowhead's saying and doing about everything. The whole game feels responsive and alive in a way that so few do and, while part of that is the excellent new content being added regularly, the community's engagement in everything that happens is what excites me most. Whatever the game's second year might bring, if it can keep troop numbers and morale as high as they are, then the sky is the limit.
Dave Grohl and his wife, Jordyn Blum , are working to maintain their family unity following Dave's announcement in September that he fathered a child outside their marriage. The unexpected news initially led Jordyn to consider divorce due to the intense feelings of betrayal . However, after some time for reflection, Jordyn found the idea of splitting up the family to be very sad. The 55-year-old Foo Fighters frontman stunned fans earlier this year when he sensationally confessed that he had cheated on his wife . The Times Like These rocker has been married to director and actress Jordyn, 48, since 2003 and together they are parents to daughters Violet Maye, 18, Harper Willow, 15, and 10-year-old Ophelia Saint. And now, an insider has claimed that Jordyn doesn't want the family to split up. An insider has told People : "It was just such a shock for Jordyn. Her first instinct was that she wanted a divorce. The betrayal felt too heavy. But as weeks passed, she got some space to think and it just felt very sad to her if the family would split up.” In September, Dave casually announced on social media that he had welcomed a fourth daughter "outside of my marriage" and vowed to work to save his relationship with his wife and their children. Fans have been left concerned that the chart-topping star may have destroyed his marriage for good. In the social media post, he declared: "I’ve recently become the father of a new daughter, born outside of my marriage. I plan to be a loving and supportive parent to her." But a source previously revealed that the the rock star will be spending Christmas with his family as they move forward from his scandalous confession. The source told the publication on Monday : "They are all spending Christmas as a family." And a second source told the publication: "Dave’s been prioritizing his family. He knows he messed up. It’s one of those situations where you don’t realize what you have until you’re about to lose it. He doesn’t want to lose his family.” He continued: "I love my wife and my children, and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and their forgiveness. We’re grateful for your consideration toward all the children involved, as we move forward together." His announcement stunned fans at the time, with many taking to social media to remark over his confession. One fan on X mocked the statement, writing: "Dave Grohl is having a child out of wedlock and announced it like a football team firing its coach lol." And another wrote more colourfully: "Not Dave Grohl making a text post to announce he cheated on his wife, fathered a child through the cheating, and lost the trust of his wife and 3 daughters, but plans to "be a good father" to the new baby. What the f**k!!!!!!!!!" Past comments by Dave resurfaced after his affair confession - as he had previously described Jordyn as his "future ex-wife". He previously recounted to Q Magazine of the night he met the actress while out drinking with late bandmate Taylor Hawkins: "Some bombshell comes up and starts talking to Taylor. I was just out of a Tenacious D session. I've got Vans trainers on, no socks, dirty shorts and a dirty T-shirt, surrounded by beautiful Hollywood... "So I'm just having some drinks and acting like a jackass. And by the end of the night I was pissed and I'm staring at her going, 'You're my future ex-wife,' he said. 'So she gave me her number: 'Jordyn, your future ex-wife'." Dave's reps have been contacted for comment. Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.
MASTERCHEF star Gregg Wallace has told friends he expects to be sacked following an investigation into his alleged sexual harassment and groping. Several women have come forward about his behaviour , prompting the review . Wallace has stopped using his pricey legal team as he resigns himself to the MasterChef sack. The under-fire presenter has also turned down crisis-publicity teams in the weeks after several women complained he groped or harassed them. The BBC1 show’s production firm Banijay UK launched a probe last month and Wallace, 60, has strongly denied any wrongdoing . But those close to him said he understood his position on MasterChef was no longer tenable . READ MORE GREGG WALLACE A source said: “Gregg’s conceded he has lost everything. To put it bluntly, he’s told people, ‘I’m f***ed’. “He came out swinging but he has quietly conceded that he knows his time on MasterChef is over and that he will be stepping aside. “He has contested the sexual allegations and insisted any jokes he made were just jokes. He said he never meant to cause any offence. “Gregg has been under a huge amount of pressure since the allegations came to light and tried his best to fight his corner. Most read in News TV “The BBC and Banijay UK have now spoken to a number of different individuals and they know they must be seen to take action. “Gregg knows the time will come when he has to step aside and as much as that pains him, it seems he has come to terms with it.” The Sun understands co-host John Torode , 59, will keep his role. The Aussie has hosted alongside Wallace since 2005. Insiders say a female star is likely to take Wallace’s place , with the new partnership to be announced in the New Year. Work on the next series of Celebrity MasterChef is under way, with the BBC show’s talent booker already making calls to line up the next run of stars. A second source said: “MasterChef is a juggernaut of a show and the wheels don’t stop turning. “Not long after the probe into Gregg’s conduct, casting started for the celebrity series. “While the probe is ongoing, it has been made clear to production that John is going to be staying and that a female will step into Gregg’s role.” Search for replacements Cooks including Angela Hartnett and Nigella Lawson have been named as possibles. Monica Galetti , 49, who appears on MasterChef: The Professionals, has also been touted. However, those close to Wallace said she would be unlikely to take the position. This week, singer Sir Rod Stewart’s wife Penny Lancaster spoke out about working with Wallace on Celebrity Masterchef in 2021. She claimed on Thursday: “I most definitely was witness — and victim — to some of the bullying and harassment behaviour of Gregg Wallace . “And, unfortunately, a lot of those involved in the production team were also witness to that.” She added: “I really feel that he used his position of power to, I believe, intimidate and cause distress to a lot of people on set. “It’s unfortunate that someone like him is allowed to get away with that, while others sort of stand by and let it happen at the same time.” At the start of this month, The Sun revealed how the BBC received complaints about Wallace’s behaviour from as early as 2014. He was accused of making sexual remarks during his 2014 stint on Strictly Come Dancing when paired with pro Aliona Vilani. The Sun also reported how John Torode repeatedly raised concerns about Wallace’s behaviour on MasterChef but no action was taken. John publicly distanced himself from Gregg in 2017 and said in an interview they were no longer pals. Since the latest allegations came to light, Wallace unfollowed John and his wife Lisa Faulkner on Instagram . At the time, pals told us Gregg was upset John did not publicly back him amid the scandal. Wallace Investigation The Sun was the first publication to report concerns over Wallace’s conduct on MasterChef. This October we revealed a complaint was made about his conduct on BBC gameshow Impossible Celebrities in 2018. They included him “boasting about this sex life” and making “inappropriate sexual comments”. It can be hard to come forward, but we want to assure everyone who does that we will treat anything raised with us with the greatest possible care. Then last month ex-Newsnight host Kirsty Wark and 13 other people came forward to say they had raised concerns. Kirsty, 69, said she spoke to MasterChef after Wallace made “sexualised jokes” when she was on the show in 2011. Other allegations include Wallace talking openly about his sex life , taking off his top in front of a junior staffer and telling another young colleague he was not wearing any pants. One woman told The Sun Wallace was made to apologise after making a “joke” about rape in 2017. Another alleged Wallace groped he r when she appeared on MasterChef. And Emma Kenny, the 2012 MasterChef winner, said she witnessed him touching another contestant and raised a complaint. Banijay UK launched its inquiry and on November 28 confirmed to The Sun that Wallace was stepping away pending the review. GREGG Wallace has stepped down from his MasterChef hosting role after a probe into alleged inappropriate behaviour. But what's the situation? Regular MasterChef host Gregg Wallace is currently the subject of a probe after an investigation was launched into his alleged misconduct over a number of years. Gregg has been accused of making sexual remarks to 13 colleagues including Beeb anchor Kirsty Wark - accusations he denies. The 60-year-old has now stepped away from the BBC show while historical misconduct allegations against him are investigated. Yet the former greengrocer spoke out on social media to blast the "women of a certain age" who he claimed were behind the allegations. The cooking show’s production company, Banijay UK, has said law firm Lewis Silkin would lead the investigation into Wallace’s alleged misconduct. A BBC spokesperson later told The Sun: “In recent days there have been concerning allegations made about the alleged conduct of Gregg Wallace, many of which relate to shows made for the BBC. “These media stories are running alongside an independent investigation , which was instigated after formal complaints were made direct to the BBC and referred to Banijay UK for further investigation. “We’d like to thank those who have had the courage to speak out. “It can be hard to come forward, but we want to assure everyone who does that we will treat anything raised with us with the greatest possible care. "Banijay UK launched the review because they have the direct contractual relationship with Gregg Wallace. He is not employed by the BBC. “When issues have been raised with the BBC we have taken action, referring issues to the relevant production company and challenging his behaviour directly as has been widely reported. READ MORE SUN STORIES “We hope Banijay UK’s independent investigation can be concluded rigorously and as swiftly as possible. "We want the review to follow due process and ensure fairness to all involved.”