Matt Tebbutt brands guest ‘hard work’ during BBC Saturday Kitchen spat: ‘Awkward to watch’

BBC Saturday Kitchen host Matt Tebbutt, 50, was embroiled in a heated back and forth with celeb chef guest Anna Haugh, 44, during Saturday’s show.

Haugh was unimpressed with the host’s help while she prepared a lentil Ragoo with goat’s cheese and roasted butternut squash.

The discord between the pair kicked off even before the cooking began. As Tebbutt introduced his guests, he described chef Poppy O’Toole as looking “very glam”.

“Excuse me! Hang on a second,” Haugh exclaimed, having not received any compliments from the host upon her introduction.

Tebbutt quickly backtracked, assuring Haugh: “And you, and you, and you!”

The cheeky banter continued as the pair set about cooking Haugh’s Ragoo where she assigned Tebbutt the role of chopping the vegetables – instructing him to produce lentil sized.

“Right, how big do you think a lentil is? You’ll have to rechop that please,” Haugh said examining Tebbutt’s unsatisfactory dicing and holding a piece up to his face.

The host asked unsurely: “Do you want…?”

“I need it smaller,” she said cutting him off and the other guests erupted in laughter and applause.

“Matt, you’ve cooked with me before. You know the drill,” Haugh added.

Tebbutt gave her a cheeky glance and answered: “Hard work?”

“Hey! Whoa whoa let’s not turn sour now,” she shot back.

Later, while discussing Christmas plans, Haugh exclaimed: “I’m a pleasure to cook for!”

The host, flashing a grin, made it clear he didn’t totally agree with the 44-year-old’s comment.

Haugh bantered back: “Don’t you start… Stop pretending that you don’t do this as your full-time job!”

However, attempting some reconciliation she somewhat sarcastically added: “You’re so great. Thak you so much. Really, really grateful. You’re so lovely. I don’t want to be busting your chops for everything.”

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Even still, as the dish was being plated up, the Irish chef couldn’t resist taking another dig at Tebbutt’s chopping.

“Have to accept a subpar presentation. Sorry about that guys,” she said of the long-suffering hosts diced veg.

Scandalised viewers took to social media to express their feelings on the heated exchanges.

One declared: “It’s actually awkward to watch!”

“There’s unfinished business between Matt and Anna,” another surmised.

However, a third suspected another feeling entirely. They observed: “The Anna and Matt flirting is another level this morning!”