AWT takes up the fight to restore the potato's image

Celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson has joined the fight to banish the term "couch potato" from the dictionary, claiming it damages the spud's reputation.

Along with more than 30 British potato farmers, Wozza took his message to Parliament Square and Oxford University Press last week, demanding the phrase be replaced with "couch slouch".

Worrall Thompson said: "Life without a potato is like a sandwich without a filling."

The campaigners want to raise awareness of the health benefits of potatoes.

The great potato

One medium jacket potato includes the following levels of Reference Nutrient Intake:

• 31-34% of potassium - helps control blood pressure levels

• 20-25% of copper - to help release energy from food

• 8-11% of iron - for carrying oxygen around the body

• 60-90% of vitamin B6 - vital for healthy nervous and immune systems

• 60-68% of vitamin C - helps maintain healthy skin

• 25.6% fibre - keeps the digestive system in order