Bishop slams Parky's Jade jibe

The bishop who presided over Jade Goody's wedding leapt to the late reality TV star's defence after Sir Michael Parkinson claimed that she came to represent 'all that is wretched about Britain'.

Bishop Jonathan Blake, of the Open Episcopal Church, admonished the 74-year-old broadcaster for putting the 'boot into a young woman so recently buried'.

Parky - writing in the Radio Times days after Jade's funeral - described her as 'barely educated, ignorant and puerile'.

He wrote: "When we clear the media smokescreen from around her death, what we're left with is a woman who came to represent all that's paltry and wretched about Britain today."

In a robust retort on his blog, Bishop Blake argued that Jade, who died of cervical cancer at the age of 27, had risen from humble beginnings to achieve an 'immense amount' in her short life.

This, he said, was due to 'her inherent gifts and untutored intelligence'.

Parkinson also claimed that former Big Brother star Jade was 'the perfect victim of our times', adding that she 'died to an orchestrated chorus of exploitation'.

He went on: "Jade Goody has her own place in the history of television and, while it's significant, it's nothing to be proud of."

Get exclusive access to your favourite stars. Subscribe to TV Times magazine