Prue Leith has urged her followers to express “kindness and tolerance” towards Dominic Cummings after he made a 250-mile trip from London to Durham during lockdown.
Reports of the decision by Boris Johnson’s special adviser sparked calls for him to step down or be sacked.
Celebrities including JK Rowling and Charlie Brooker are among those to back the calls, with the Harry Potter author branding Cummings a hypocrite.
Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, appeared on the Sophy Ridge on Sunday Show on 24 May as he attempted to dodge questions about Cummings.