“Dinner: Impossible” chef admits lying about experience

A tough-talking TV chef from Britain who boasted he helped design Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding cake has reportedly admitted he had almost nothing to do with it.

Robert Irvine, who has shot to fame on US TV series 'Dinner: Impossible' is under investigation by network bosses over his outlandish claims.

Irvine has bragged he is a knight who owns a castle in Scotland, has cooked for presidents and royalty and is pals with Prince Charles.

But he has now come clean to a US newspaper that his involvement in the Royal wedding cake was that he attended the school where it was made and that he picked fruit for it.

Irvine claims to have worked on the cake in his book 'Mission: Cook!'.

And he previously told the Toronto Sun newspaper: "It was an English fruitcake that weighed over 360 pounds.

"I worked on these elaborate side panels, which told the history of the royal Windsor and Spencer families - in icing!"

But he has now reportedly told the St Petersburg Times: "I was at the school when that was happening. They made the cake at the school where I was."

Asked if he helped make it, he said: "Picking fruit and things like that."

Irvine also confessed he made up a story about being a knight to impress wealthy Americans in St Petersburg, Florida.

He told the St Petersburg Times: "When I first came down there and I met people down there with all this money, it was like trying to keep up with the Joneses.

"I was sitting in a bar one night and that came out. It was stupid."

A Buckingham Palace spokesman confirmed: "He is not a KCVO Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order and he wasn't given a castle by the queen of England."

Irvine has been planning to open two swanky restaurants in St Petersburg but they are still not finished three months past the planned opening.

He allegedly owes thousands to his website consultant and a St Petersburg socialite claims he owes her $100,000.

A spokesman for Food Network, which airs Irvine's show, said: "It's unfortunate if Robert embellished the extent of his culinary experiences.

"We are investigating the matter and taking the necessary steps to ensure the accuracy of all representations of Robert on Food Network and foodnetwork.com.

By Iain Burchell, Feb 19 2008 © Copyright 2008 - Showbiz Spy