The judge in the Nigella Lawson court case has rebuked the British Prime Minister David Cameron for comments he made saying he was on Team Nigella.

Jurors at Isleworth Crown Court in London have been told to disregard the comments made by the Prime Minister in an interview for The Spectator in which he said he was a "massive fan" of the television chef.

Judge Robin Johnson told jurors they should disregard Mr. Cameron's comments and said "It is of regret when people in public office comment about a person who is involved in a trial which is in progress."

The trial of Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo, who are accused of abusing their positions by spending stg£685,000 on credit cards belonging to Ms. Lawson and her former husband Charles Saatchi, is now in its third week.

It has lifted the lid on the lifestyles of both Ms. Lawson and Mr. Saatchi and their acrimonious separation, with both giving evidence about Ms. Lawson's drug use.

Mr. Cameron's intervention in the case came in an interview in which he was asked whether he was a member of Team Nigella, the name her supporters have adopted. He replied "I am. I'm a massive fan".

He added "I've had the great pleasure of meeting her a couple of times and she always strikes me as a very funny and warm person, but I'm also an amateur cook and I like her recipes".

"Nancy (Mr. Cameron's 9-year-old daughter) and I sometimes watch a bit of Nigella on telly. Not in court, I hasten to add" he added.

'What public figures may feel can have no bearing'

The judge told jurors "It is inconceivable that some of your number may not have seen these comments. The defendants feel aggrieved as the comments, although they do not specifically deal with matters in the trial, are favourable to Ms. Lawson. The fact they they may feel aggrieved is not without justification".

"You will realise that what public figures may feel about this case or a witness in this case can have no bearing on the issues that you have to decide" he added.

Last week, Lawson (53) admitted taking cocaine with ex-husband John Diamond when he found out he had terminal cancer, and on another occasion in July 2010 during her troubled marriage to Mr. Saatchi.

She spoke of suffering "intimate terrorism" at the hands of her multi-millionaire ex-husband, describing him as a "brilliant, but brutal man".

Ms. Lawson also accused him of "peddling" stories about her alleged drug habit, including that he was checking her nose for cocaine when he was photographed gripping her throat outside a London restaurant in June.