Tom Kerridge takes swipe at the BBC over 'money' days after Gary Lineker scandal

Tom Kerridge and his host enjoyed some mischievous banter about the BBC, days after the corporation hit the headlines for parting ways with Gary Lineker. Talking at Pub in the Park, the festival Tom founded in Marlow, his host teased: "Those three little letters, the BBC - we're not the BBC anymore, we're just Good Food!"

He continued: "We're the home of home cooking, we are trusted, and we are still that person, but if we were with the BBC, we wouldn't be able to be here - so when people ask us the difference between us and the BBC, this is the difference. We are able to..." Tom mischievously interrupted that the main difference was "money", only for the host to shoot back: "It's not, it's about editorial experience, Tom!" Ripples of laughter broke out from the audience as the pair then agreed that it was about "spreading our wings and being able to do things like [the live podcast]".

As revellers listened avidly at the Higginson Park venue, Tom went on to discuss his passion for strawberries - but expressed fears of a media backlash if he sold them at the price he felt was appropriate.

Meanwhile, on the Good Food website, a frequently asked question has been uploaded asking: "Why have you taken the BBC blocks off the BBC Good Food magazine, app, website and social?"

The answer was: "We are very proud of our 35-year association with the BBC and now we're preparing for an exciting future standing on our own two feet.

"Don't worry, while we are updating our look, nothing has changed. We will continue to publish the same trusted, high-quality content across all of our platforms. Our commitment to our audience and editorial standards are the same; our recipes continue to be produced in the same test kitchen; and the people working on the brand have not changed."

Tom, of course, is included in that definition - and he did not make any mention of the recent scandal, when Gary Lineker left the BBC after reposting an Instagram story deemed to have been anti-Semitic.It made a reference to Zionism alongside an illustration of a rat - but Gary apologised, clarifying he'd "never knowingly" post any prejudiced content.

The former Match of the Day host, who was previously suspended for broadcasting impartial views and comparing deportations of illegal immigrants to behaviour in Nazi Germany, has now left the company.