Catering staff at the John Radcliffe Hospital near Oxford might have been a little concerned when they found out Blanc was receiving treatment for the injury, which happened at his Oxford home earlier this month.

The Michelin-starred chef, 60, often criticises contestants in the BBC show The Restaurant but, speaking of his two-week stay in a private room, he told the Oxford Mail: "I sampled the hospital food during my stay and I'm pleased to say that it was edible.

"It was a pretty good try considering it is cooked for the masses. It was certainly good enough for an institution.

"I tried the steamed haddock with potatoes and, although the haddock was overcooked and quite dry, I gave the dish six and a half out of 10.

"Their best dish was a spicy chicken tikka, which was fun, and I gave that seven out of 10.

"The chilli con carne was not so good. It was rather watery. I was only able to give it five out of 10."

During his stay, he was told off by the nurses for opening a half-bottle of Gevrey-Chambertin, and was ordered to put the wine away because of side-effects with the medication he was taking, he said in his online blog.

He also received cakes from staff at a nearby Maison Blanc to satisfy his sweet tooth while in hospital.

Blanc broke his right leg in six places in early March when he fell down the stairs at his home. He has now been ordered to rest for a further 12 weeks.