Pierre White's Wife Uses Ring To Pay Bills

Published on 19/01/09

Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White's wife has handed over her platinum diamond ring to lawyers as she struggles to pay her divorce legal fees.

The Daily Mail reports the mother, who has three children with the cook, has given the ring to Withers solicitors after running up £1 million in legal bills.

Mati White had the Art Deco platinum ring valued recently and a price tag of £250,000 was placed on it.

Due to its high value the she has rarely worn it in public, preferring to keep it safe at the couple's home.

A source told the newspaper: "Mati is in a terrible state, she is a broken woman. She has spent every penny she had on her solicitors. She had to go to the bank and extend her overdraft and now that money has all gone."

The divorce is set to be one of the most expensive to go through the British courts as Mr White is rumoured to be worth almost £50 million.

In an interview with in 2007, the chef told the Guardian he was divorced from his wife, saying "I have my decree nisi".