Viewers of BBC's Saturday Kitchen were quick to notice what they perceived as tension between host Matt Tebbutt and guest chef Andrew Wong during the latest episode. The show, which aired on Saturday, featured Tebbutt joined by chefs Andrew Wong and Jess Shadbolt, recipe developer Seema Pankhania, wine expert Olly Smith, and special guest Ricky Wilson, frontman of the Kaiser Chiefs.
Tebbutt Interrupts Cooking Segment
The first segment of the show involved Andrew Wong preparing barbecue char siu roast pork with gai lan. According to the BBC Food website, the recipe requires marinating the pork overnight and charring it in a hot pan or on the barbecue. Wong mentioned that in his restaurant, he uses a duck oven, and he added a sweet syrup before serving with a glossy char siu glaze and blanched gai lan.
During the segment, Tebbutt interrupted Wong several times. He pointed out that Wong wiped his hands on Tebbutt's shirt on more than one occasion, despite multiple cloths and tea towels being available in the studio kitchen. Tebbutt also stopped Wong while he was explaining his recipe to highlight that one of the oven doors was left open. “Would you leave this open in your restaurant? So don't do it here,” Tebbutt said.
Viewers React on Social Media
While the exchanges appeared to be lighthearted, viewers at home speculated there was genuine frustration. One person wrote on social media: “Wow this guy is really getting on Matt’s nerves isn’t he?” followed by crying laughing emojis. Another viewer expressed annoyance with the overall atmosphere, saying: “As much as I enjoy the programme, why does everyone have to shout and talk over each other?”
Ricky Wilson's Controversial Opinion
Special guest Ricky Wilson also sparked discussion with his opinion on fish and chips. He claimed he never goes anywhere that serves more than fish and chips, including pies or sausages. A viewer responded: “I hope he enjoys his Courgette, mushroom and aubergine fritto misto - Yes, I voted hell. Anyone who doesn’t like pies, battered sausage, or saveloys is a heathen!”
Saturday Kitchen airs Saturdays at 10am on BBC One and is available for streaming on iPlayer.
