Pierre White: 'Jamie loves publicity'

Rex Features

Marco Pierre White has claimed that Jamie Oliver launches food campaigns to achieve "column inches".

The Hell's Kitchen chef said he was sick of TV cooks promoting "organic" produce in order to boost their public image.

"If everyone could afford organic, we’d go and buy organic, but there are a lot of families in this country who can't," he told This Morning. "I only object when I see certain individuals condemning certain methods of farming for a few column inches."

He added: "Jamie [Oliver] does enough things for the wrong reasons, doesn't he? I’m not trying to be controversial, I think if you’re going to do something, then put your weight behind it.

"Don’t do it for a few column inches to try and capitalise on it."

Earlier this week, Pierre White defended Delia Smith's recent back-to-basics cookery show and called for her to be made a Dame.