Len Goodman sparked outrage on BBC One after he recalled what his grandmother thought of curry powder. He said his nan referred to curry as 'foreign muck' and he was left 'worried' about the dish which he admits was 'ridiculous' after he enjoyed eating Coronation Chicken.
Chatting with host Kirsty Young as part of Sunday's Jubilee Pageant coverage the former Strictly Come Dancing head judge sampled the official Jubilee pudding, a lemon and amaretti trifle created by Jemma Melvin.
Appearing alongside MasterChef’s John Torode he gave his stamp of approval to the pudding. And former Desert Island Discs presenter Kirsty asked pro ballroom dancer Len, 78, if he is a keen cook.
READ MORE:
"Everyone is serving up different dishes at their street parties, are you a cook, Len?’ she asked. And he responded frankly: "No, I’m hopeless, honestly. My wife did Coronation Chicken yesterday for our tea and I’ve never had it before."
He continued: "I’ve never had curry and curry powder, you know, my nan used to call it all 'foreign muck'." The remark prompted a laugh from fellow guest John.
And he added: "I was always worried about it. But I must say, it was ridiculous. It was really tasty. It was so tasty. I had my first sampling of Coronation Chicken yesterday."
Celebrity chef John then told his own story about growing up as a kid in Australia in the seventies with his grandmother who taught him how to cook. "She never used curry powder. I don't think she even knew what pasta was," he said. And Kirsty said: "Changed days."
@ClaudiaBoleyn said: "Not Len Goodman lovingly quoting how his nan referred to curry as 'foreign muck' and that's why he's nervous of it now. This on the BBC Jubilee coverage." @paulruk commented: "Len Goodman on the BBC says he only had Coronation Chicken yesterday, pulling a disgusted face at the idea of curry powder and reminiscing how his nan called it foreign muck. He sounds charming." And @MusIbrahim_ said: "Len Goodman really just referred to curry powder as 'foreign muck' on live telly."
@Pabl0Blanc0 tweeted: "Someone tell Len Goodman Coronation Chicken is a British recipe, created for the coronation by two English chefs. Based on a dish created for George V in 1935 called Jubilee Chicken. Curry has been part of our national diet for 200+ years, and I'm sure even his nan isn't that old."
@cat186 defended: "I’m sure there’ll be some outrage about Len Goodman’s comments on curry powder. He was quoting his nan and therefore obviously referring to old fashioned attitudes."
@YouLazy1 wrote: "Len Goodman saying his nan didn’t like curry or curry powder calling it foreign muck you got to chuckle. Remember Len’s Nan was raised in a time of empire xenophobia and racism hopefully times have moved on from Len’s nan’s day." And @Richard80303231 said: "My nan & grandad used to call it all foreign muck . It’s what that generation did."
