MICHELIN-STARRED

Tom Kerridge, who’s chief judge on Great British Menu, is simmering over complaints from young cooks on the BBC Two show that he’s crabby and gives scores that are too low.

‘i got quite a lot of stick for being a grumpy b ***** d, which is fine,’ he says. ‘if you’re competing as a chef, you’re there to cook, to compete. The chefs eating other chefs’ food don’t want to go, “Oh, that’s only worth a five”; they give it an eight — they’re trying to be nice.’

Judges were much harsher when he was a contestant on the show a decade ago, says Kerridge, 48. ‘When i was on it, i remember [judge] Daniel Clifford spitting food out in the bin. it was brutal.

‘and now we are in this world of being nice to everyone.’