Sour grapes from Gary Rhodes

I can imagine how it went at the PR agency.
"Gary's got a new book coming out. How can we raise his profile, increase his visibility with the national press?!
"Have him attack another chef. How about Marco Pierre White, who replaced him on Hell's Kitchen?
"No, too risky. The papers would compare them and Gary would come off worse in every area: number of Michelin stars, looks, viewing figures of Hell's Kitchen."
"How about Delia Smith?"
"No, done before."
"Nigella Lawson?"
"Perfect. She's on TV at the moment and she's unlikely to respond."

TV cook Gary Rhodes apparently accused Nigella of being an entertainer rather than a chef in one or two of yesterday's papers.

Not only is his puerile attack sour grapes, because Nigella's TV show is on BBC2 whereas he now languishes in the hinterland of UK Food, but it also insults those of us who watch her programme and buy her books. I counted and I have four of her books, but none of Rhodes's. I wonder why that is? Maybe because Rhodes only cooks British favourites that are stodgy and laden with calories (I remember he created a recipe on TV that had something like 12 eggs in it), and yet he himself looks as if his food never passes his lips. As shown by the photo, frantic working out, at a ridiculous hour of the morning, gives the vain middle-aged Rhodes a six pack.

Well, most of us prefer the luscious curves of Nigella and their testimony to the deliciousness of her food. Recipes which are far more creative than Mr Rhodes' gussied-up toads-in-the-hole or nursery puddings.

I suggest his PR people go back to their drawing boards and find a better way for him to try to rekindle the flame that went out last year when his version of Hell's Kitchen, where, in complete contrast to his normal persona, he turned petulant bully and nearly sank the show for good until the wonderful Marco rescued it.