Matt Tebbutt leaves The One Show hosts squirming recounting SACKING

Saturday Kitchen’s Matt Tebbutt opened up about the moment he was sacked from a Michelin-starred restaurant on The One Show.

Despite host Angellica Bell, 50, attempting to ‘gloss over’ the incident, the TV star felt like he had to open up about the embarrassing incident early in his career. 

Matt, 52, is a show regular on Saturday Kitchen, but he is also known for starring on Channel 4’s Food Unwrapped and Drop Down Menu.

Prior to this, he worked as a professional chef at some of London’s most well-regarded restaurants under the likes of Marco Pierre White and Alastair Little. 

Angellica asked: ‘Marco Pierre White, he gave you your big break when you started out. What was that like?’

Matt said: ‘It was a lot, let’s be honest. He was a bit of a legend or he still is a legend in the whole food industry.’

Reflecting on working with the esteemed chef, Matt said: ‘I think these kinds of mentors you need when you’re starting out, you need those people to look up to and aspire to and Marco was certainly one of those.

‘So I went to work for him and learnt a lot. It was a fun time and it was full on time. shall we say…’ 

The One Show host then noted that Matt had actually worked for Marco Pierre twice – alluding to his sacking. 

Angellica asked: ‘You worked for him twice, was it twice?”

Matt explained: ‘No, that was Alastair. That’s another chef, the great Alastair Little – Italian chef. Well I worked for him twice because I got sacked. 

Angellica, who appeared uncomfortable, admitted that she was trying to give Matt a chance to ‘gloss over’ the incident, but he was happy to elaborate on what happened. 

He said: ‘I started in this three star, which is the pinnacle of Michelin cooking. 

‘I was straight out of catering school and I really didn’t know what I was going into and wow what a shock that was.’

The Saturday Kitchen star added: ‘So he sacked me after a month and then I went home and the next day, I was going “oh, my word, I need a job. I need to find some work”.’

Then the phone went and it was Marco going, “why are you at home?” I went, ‘Well, because you sacked me last night’ and he said “oh, don’t worry about that”.

‘Then I went back and I worked at one of his other restaurants, the criterion, which was really busy. But it was fun. It was busy. It was often tough.’

Matt’s appearance on The One Show came ahead of Saturday Kitchen’s prerecorded Easter show, Saturday Kitchen Best Bites, which is set to air on Sunday at 10am on BBC Two. 

The show, which is typically broadcast live, features discussions about foods as well as cooking demonstrations, often with celebrity guests. 

The One Show airs on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.