Marco Pierre White gets his own reality TV show

Marco Pierre White is set to rival old pal Gordon Ramsay by scooping his own U.S reality TV show.

Ramsay has become a huge star in America with 'Hell's Kitchen' and is a regular on popular talk shows.

Now Michelin-starred White, who has often been cited as a mentor to Ramsay, is trying to crack America.

NBC will show White's 'The Chopping Block', which will feature want-to-be chefs competing as couples to try and win their own restaurant.

Eight couples chosen for the show will be split into two teams, with each team given restaurant space in Manhattan.

Each team will get reality TV-style challenges, with one couple from the worst performing team sent home each week.

"He's the original rock-and-roll chef," NBC reality TV boss Craig Plestis told Variety magazine. "Food is his life, the core of his being. He won't accept second best from these contestants.

"And he made Gordon Ramsay cry, so he's going to make some of our people cry, too, I'm sure."

White rose to fame with eateries such as the Oak Room, Mirabelle, and Quo Vadis, before retiring in 1999.