HELL'S KITCHEN

Hell's Kitchen: Show thirteen

‘Gordon is so wooden’

Published: Saturday, 15 September 2007, 4:11PM

A top Times food critic compares Marco to Gordon Ramsay.

As service ended last night, Marco joined the table of food critics to hear what they made of their evening.

“I’ve loved it, it’s been great,” Giles Coren from The Times told Marco. “I’ve done lots of telly with Gordon, and you on Hell’s Kitchen are so refreshing and proper. You are so real and human, giving them a shoulder to cry on.”

Hearing this glowing comparison to former protégé and now culinary nemesis Gordon Ramsay, Marco listened intently as Giles continued with his praise.

“Gordon by comparison is so wooden and thick,” Giles added. “I love Gordon, but it shows you in such a good light. So human and brilliant. When you are sitting on the pass at the end laughing and smiling with them it’s so nice to see.”

“Once you dissolve that fear their confidence will start to grow,” a flattered Marco replied. “Giles, thank you for your support.”

Something tells us that this is one diner verdict that will stick in Marco's memory ...