British 'Hell's Kitchen' chef Marco Pierre White in hot water over slur

A comment by chef Marco Pierre White on the British TV series, "Hell's Kitchen," has provoked criticism of the culinary celebrity.

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Fans of the popular cooking series, along with the Commission for Racial Equality, have complained about White's use of the term "pikey" while filming a recent episode, Sky News reported Saturday.

"I don't think it was a pikey's picnic tonight," he said, using what is widely regarded as a defamatory term for itinerant travelers.

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"These distasteful comments are highly derogatory and have caused much offense," a commission spokesman said.

Trainee chef Lee Ryan confronted White on his choice of words.

"I have a lot of friends who are travelers," he told White during filming, "and I know they don't like being called pikeys."

A spokeswoman for the ITV network, which airs "Hell's Kitchen," has apologized for White's on-air comments.