It sounds impossible: Gordon Ramsay, the man known for shouting in kitchens around the world, spent 10 full days in silence at a remote mindfulness retreat in Iceland.
In a recent episode of his podcast Uncooked, Ramsay opened up about a life-changing experience that few knew about. After filming three consecutive shows—Next Level Chef, Kitchen Nightmares, and Hell’s Kitchen—he reached a breaking point.
“I was angry for no reason,” he said. “Not just on set—at home, with myself. My mind was burning like the oven at Savoy Grill.”
A close friend recommended a silent Vipassana retreat. No phones. No talking. No eye contact. “I thought it was bonkers,” Ramsay laughed. “But I booked it anyway.”
What followed, he said, was the hardest mental test of his life. By Day 3, he nearly walked out. “All I could hear was my own regrets screaming at me.”
But by Day 7, things changed. Ramsay began writing—not menus, but reflections. And one night, he broke down crying over a memory of his father, who never saw his success.
“I wasn’t yelling because I was strong. I was yelling because I was scared.”
Since the retreat, Ramsay says he’s learned to choose silence over shouting—sometimes. He still gets fired up on screen, but off-camera, his team reports a calmer, more present chef.
“The fire’s still there,” he says. “But now I know when to let it simmer.”
