Saturday Kitchen's Matt Tebbutt 'sorry' after mussels blunder with vegetarian Mary McCartney

Saturday Kitchen's Matt Tebbutt was left red-faced and swiftly apologised after a cringeworthy gaffe involving a vegetarian guest on Saturday's show (October 5).

The episode saw Matt joined by culinary maestro Theo Randall, actress Michelle Keegan, and Mary McCartney, who is not only a vegetarian cookbook writer but also the daughter of Beatles icon Paul McCartney. Wine connoisseur Olly Smith was also present to match wines with the meals being prepared.

The faux pas occurred shortly after the show kicked off, while Matt and Theo were whipping up a mussel and tagliatelle dish.

In a momentary lapse, as they discussed how mussels can be used in various dishes, Matt turned to Mary and asked her opinion on the shellfish, seemingly forgetting her vegetarian diet.

"Mary, where do you stand on a mussel?" he asked. "I don't eat them..." she began, looking uncomfortable, as Matt quickly interjected: "Being a vegetarian."

"I don't eat them," she said again. "We have had debates in the past of the fact they don't have a brain or a nervous system, I don't think," reports .

"Right," Matt replied, continuing his cooking in an uncomfortable silence, while Mary emphasised once more, "I don't eat them."

Matt offered an apology for the awkward moment, saying "Sorry" and carried on with his preparation, but Mary quickly redirected the conversation back to him. "How do you feel about them?" she asked with a smile, as Matt gushed that he was "very into mussels."

Viewers picked up on the quirky moment from the show. A viewer used X, previously known as , to joke: "How'd the show go today, Matt? 'Well, I asked Mary McCartney if she liked mussels or not; that went well'."

While Mary is a photographer by profession, the 55-year-old has authored multiple cookbooks and is a high-profile vegetarian. She co-founded the global vegetarian movement, Meat Free Monday, with her father and sister, while her mother, Linda McCartney, created one of the world's first meat-free brands with Linda McCartney Food back in 1991.