Disastrous ex-PM Liz Truss said a news website's experiment to dress up an iceberg lettuce in a blonde wig and see whether it lasted longer than she did in No10 was "puerile".
The Daily Star's lettuce became a viral sensation, with Ms Truss's resignation after just 49 days as PM meant the vegetable won the battle of survival.
The shortest-serving PM has now broken her silence to brand the race "puerile".
Ms Truss's Government crashed the economy after announcing a disastrous mini-Budget filled with unfunded tax cuts in September.
Brits are still reeling from the wrecking ball she and then-Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng threw at the economy.
As the pound fell sharply and many mourned the death of Queen Elizabeth, the livestream of a lettuce dressed as Ms Truss acted as a welcome breath of humour.
Speaking at a News XChange journalism conference in Dublin, Ms Truss criticised the press as she claimed its reporting on politics was "a bit playground when there are really serious issues going on."
She said that although the "robust debate" in the British media represents "a good thing overall", she also expressed frustration with some elements.
"I think that the British media are known throughout the world for being particularly vociferous and I don't think they are particularly deferential to politicians," she said.
"It's frustrating because I came into politics because I wanted to change the country, I want to push particular ideas, and it is frustrating when you get diverted onto a discussion of what hat you're wearing, or whether you like photographs, all this other stuff, rather than one of the crucial issues that are affecting Britain, Europe, Ireland and the US.
"I do think sometimes politics is sort of treated as a branch of the entertainment industry. Who's up, who's down, who says what about who - it's a bit playground when there are really serious issues going on."
Ms Truss also said that comparisons between her dress sense and Margaret Thatcher's represents "lazy thinking".
Asked whether she sought to dress like Baroness Thatcher, she said female politicians are often compared with one another because "there aren't that many of us".
"I just think, frankly, it's lazy thinking on people's part. It's not something I have ever consciously sought to do at all," she said.
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