Gipsies target Marco
ITV stepped up security at Hell’s Kitchen yesterday – as hundreds of gipsies threatened to protest outside. They were incensed after chef Marco Pierre White used the offensive word "pikey" on Thursday’s show.
Marco told maitre’d Nick Munier that blue kitchen’s effort had been "a pikeys’ picnic" Nick replied: "Yes, it was very pikey." (more here…)
Former Blue singer Lee Ryan was so angry about the use of that word he complained and later walked out.
Furious John Lee, 51, from Reading, Berks, said yesterday: "I am a Romany gipsy and I find the word pikey very insulting."
Show sources said gipsies had threatened a protest outside the studio in East London.
ITV said those on the show had been told the "derogatory racial" word was unacceptable.