An Emmy Award-winning writer is suing the makers of Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookery show - claiming he was never paid for his work. Paltrow stars in new TV series Spain On The Road Again alongside celebrity chef Mario Batali which talks viewers through a variety of recipes and offers a gastronomic tour of the European country. But the show - due to air this autumn - has been hit with legal action from Ben Karlin, a former head writer for Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, who claims to have been approached to "conceptualise and oversee" a companion book to the programme in 2007. Karlin has filed papers in New York accusing production company chief Charles Pinsky of approving his concept for the guide but then delaying giving him a written contract and eventually dismissing him without pay. He has also accused the show's stars - Batali and Paltrow - of refusing to co-operate with his work on the book. Pinsky's attorney Leslie Ben-Zvi has hit back at the suit, insisting Karlin has misrepresented the facts. He says, "We will vigorously defend this lawsuit, including the good names of Charles Pinsky and Mario Batali."
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