Another day, another kiss and tell about some celebrity chef. Today I read the tearful saga of a waitress Marco Pierre White apparently wanted to leave his wife for. She now feels totally let down as the rogue has not in fact left his wife and she has lost her job. Quelle surprise.

I have to admit that I nearly fell under Marco’s spell many years ago. I met him when I was about 19 in London. He was a flamboyant, loud and entertaining man. By chance we ended up in Oxford together; me to study for my A Levels and Marco to work for the Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. As we knew no one else we would hang out together. He told me dramatic tales from the kitchen at the Manoir. On my birthday he showed up with a beautifully cooked dinner involving some kind of fowl. Sadly I was a vegetarian in those days. I remember him storming into the Oxford College of Further Education refectory wearing a full-length black coat shrieking across the whole room: “Daaaarling, you look DIVINE – but what are you doing in this dump?”

I didn’t give in to Marco’s charms, and rather like the weepy waitress featured in today’s Mail I found that made him even more keen. But we stayed just friends, although we’re no longer in touch. My point is this though – there was a time when chefs would just shut up and cook. Now it seems they’re on a par with pop stars. Why? Why do we care what Gordon Ramsey does to the extent that we have whole TV shows about him? Although I’m delighted to hear my old friend still hasn’t lost his capacity to charm, he won’t be the first chef to seduce a waitress and he certainly won’t be the last. Why are we so interested?

Get back to the kitchen with you, I’m so over celebrity chefs. But next time Marco, cook me something I want to eat.