In the eyes of many viewers, Gordon Ramsay is a rude, aggressive chef – exactly the image he often portrays on culinary TV shows. However, behind that harsh, outspoken appearance are other personality traits of Gordon Ramsay that not many people know.
Almost became a professional soccer player
Born in Scotland, Gordon Ramsay’s family moved to England when he was five. As a child, Gordon Ramsay dreamed and was determined to pursue a career in football. At the age of 15, Ramsay joined Glasgow Rangers – a professional football club – so his family returned to Scotland to create conditions for him to pursue his dream. Ramsay played football for that club for three years, but then a knee injury ended his football dream. After his football dream ended, Ramsay decided to enter the hotel business and earned a degree in this field in 1987. Gordon Ramsay shared: “Until now, I still love football. For me, cooking is similar to football, it is not a profession, it is a passion. When you become good at something, it will be a dream job.”
Gordon Ramsay and guest Selena Gomez on a culinary show
Became a chef at 27
When he first entered the culinary world, Ramsay apprenticed under the guidance of famous chefs: Marco Pierre White, Joel Robuchon and Guy Savoy. However, at the age of 27, Ramsay began his own career as a master chef. In 1993, he became the head chef of the newly opened Aubergine restaurant in London. In just three years, Ramsay helped the restaurant earn two Michelin stars and in 1995, he was named Newcomer of the Year at the prestigious Catey Awards. He currently owns 58 restaurants in many countries around the world such as: America, England, China, Malaysia …
The world’s highest paid chef
Ramsay was once the richest chef in the world, thanks in part to his culinary TV shows Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, MasterChef, Hotel Hell , and Faking It . According to Forbes, Ramsay’s shows generate more than $150 million in advertising revenue for Fox each year. In 2021, Ramsay was second only to British TV chef Jamie Oliver in terms of wealth, according to Money Inc., despite his restaurant empire filing for bankruptcy in May 2019.
Have a talent for foreign languages
When Ramsay arrived in France to apprentice with one of the country’s most famous chefs, he didn’t speak a word of French. However, after a short time, just by learning words and sentence structures through menus and recipes, Ramsay quickly became fluent in French. Now, Ramsay can use French fluently. “If necessary, I can knock on doors to find menus for a menu collection. I currently have over 3,500 menus, and I love reading them. They’re all arranged from A to Z in a file drawer at home, next to my bed, so I can read them anytime,” Ramsay shared.
Actively do charity work
Gordon, who has been married to Tana for 26 years, is a well-known philanthropist. The Gordon and Tana Ramsay Foundation helps support Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity to “give some of the sickest children the best chance at life”.
Gordon Ramsay with his wife and two children
Do not leave your children an inheritance.
Ramsay surprised many when he announced that he would not be leaving any of his vast fortune to his children. He said that this decision would prevent them from becoming dependent or spoiled. However, that does not mean that his children did not receive any financial support from their father. In fact, he agreed to support 25% of the deposit for their apartment. His daughter, Matilda, also loves to cook and has her own cooking show on TV – Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch . However, she shared that she prefers her mother’s cooking to her father’s.
Love children
Despite his reputation for swearing and often harsh personality, Ramsay loves children. He is supportive and caring towards every child who appears on his cooking shows. “I talk to kids in a way I never talk to adults. I often put myself in their shoes: standing there, competing on a TV show at the age of eight or nine, feeling like I’m lacking everything: confidence, experience… I’ve been in that situation, so I understand how kids feel.”
