Marco Pierre White claims Jamie Oliver dropped from BBC chef show

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 4 Nov, 14:58 · Archive

Jamie Oliver was dropped from a BBC series about leading chefs after Marco Pierre White objected, saying Oliver lacked Michelin stars.

A BBC series called The Rise of the Rock Star Chef, set to air on 5 November, details the early careers of Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal. Jamie Oliver, an international chef and bestselling author, was initially involved in the programme but was dropped after White objected to his inclusion.

White told producers that Oliver was not 'part of our jigsaw' because he had not obtained any Michelin stars. In an interview with Radio Times Magazine on 2 November, White described how he came to participate in the show. He said he initially declined to appear when approached. 'I was the fourth person they asked,' White explained. 'Gordon was first, because it's made by Studio Ramsay, but then there was Heston and Jamie Oliver. So I said, "Not interested." And they said, "But we can't do it without you. Because you're the original. Why not, Marco?"'

White came to fame in the 1980s and won the first of three Michelin stars by age 26, earning a reputation as the culinary world's 'enfant terrible'. He eventually agreed to appear in the programme after producers persuaded him that his involvement was essential to the show's success.

How it is being reported

• Star chef 'dropped' from show after Wiltshire restaurant owner takes Michelin swipeA “rock star chef” at the centre of a new TV show has slammed a fellow chef for lacking iGazette & Herald · 4 Nov, 14:40
• Star chef 'dropped' from show after Wiltshire restaurant owner takes Michelin swipeA “rock star chef” at the centre of a new TV show has slammed a fellow chef for lacking iSwindon Advertiser · 4 Nov, 14:40
• Star chef 'dropped' from show after Wiltshire restaurant owner takes Michelin swipeA “rock star chef” at the centre of a new TV show has slammed a fellow chef for lacking iWiltshire Times · 4 Nov, 14:40

In this story: Marco Pierre White · Gordon Ramsay · Heston Blumenthal · Jamie Oliver · BBC · Studio Ramsay · Wiltshire

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