Naked Chef caught in 'Mafia' war

Jamie Oliver has described his fellow chef Marco Pierre White as a "Mafia-don-type character".

His comments are the latest episode in a long-running feud between the pair, which started when White described Oliver as "a fat chef with a drum kit".

Oliver, 39, said he was shocked by the comments made by his childhood hero, especially as they came after the pair had chatted amicably at a dinner party.

"I don't hate him, but he's quite a powerful, slightly Mafia-don-type character," Oliver said

"I think I fairly subtly mentioned that he was a psychological bully ... and then: that was war."

Oliver said he wanted his cooking to be more family-focused. He described the French method of training as "quite aggressive, quite sexist and regimental cooking".

He said he wanted to launch a chain of restaurants where the staff were not "trained by fear", even though it takes longer.

He added: "The staff that are trained by fear, brilliant as they are, they can't write menus, can't think, they can't respond by the day, season. And my chefs can."

Oliver and his wife Jules saw their fortune leap by £240-million (R4.42-bilion) in this year's Rich List with their restaurant chains, TV appearances and her children's wear range.