‘Masterchef’: Gordon Ramsay Reveals Why He Would Never Hire His Own Kids
Most children of celebrities probably think they live charmed lives. After all, they’re usually spoiled with all the money and power that comes from having a famous parent. Children of actors are usually granted cameo roles. And not only do the kids of famous chefs eat better than most, but they probably expect their moms and dads to let them work in the kitchen.
But chef Gordon Ramsay of Masterchef fame doesn’t buy into all that nepotism. Instead, the former Hell’s Kitchen host has a very unique approach to parenting and even refuses to hire his kids as employees.
Ramsay has a large family
Though Ramsay seems like an utter bully on television with his frequent tirades and penchant for profanity, his friends and family claim that the real Ramsay is a doting husband and father who doesn’t raise his voice too often.
The British chef and restauranteur wed Cayetana Hutcheson (Tana) in 1996 after luring her away from a fellow chef. The pair has five children together: Megan, Holly, Jack, Matilda, and Oscar. Some of his kids are already showing interest in the food biz, but that doesn’t mean Ramsay will give them a leg up.
He won’t hire his children to work for him
Ramsay believes in the power of hard work and not having everything in life handed to you. That’s why he’s gone on record saying he won’t hire his own children to work for him.
As Ramsay explained to Daily Mail about his philosophy, “You want to work in this business? You f*** off to another chef, learn something different and come back with something new to improve the business,” he said. “I don’t want the staff thinking: ‘F*** it’s Ramsay’s kid, we can’t tell them off.’”
His daughter Tilly is building her following
The chef’s daughter Matilda, or Tilly, obviously has her dad’s talent in her blood. According to Delish, she already has her own cooking show called Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch and wrote her own cookbook, too. But she’s not getting any handouts from her dad (besides his name, of course).
Ramsay does make appearances on Tilly’s show and offers her critique and support. But he’s not supporting her — not even financially.
Ramsay makes his kids work for the money
Like some other millionaire celebrity parents, Ramsay refuses to give his kids an inheritance or excessive cash to spend. “[My money is] definitely not going to them, and that’s not in a mean way; it’s to not spoil them,” he told The Telegraph. “The only thing I’ve agreed with Tana is they get a 25 percent deposit on a flat, but not the whole flat.”
The Ramsay children also don’t get handouts for their allowance. “They get pocket money, but they have to earn that pocket money,” Ramsay told Hello! Magazine. “They’ve all taken care of animals, they’ve all got housework. There’s a rotor.”
He had a bad experience hiring family
This might all stem back to the disastrous time Ramsay hired his father-in-law, Tana’s dad, and it all ended badly and caused problems in the family.
“We’ve dealt with some serious issues in our family and we’ve fallen out. It’s made us stronger and closer,” Ramsay told The Sun. “What’s the one thing I’d have done differently in life? I’d never have employed my father-in-law. Don’t. Employ. Family.”
Maybe that’s part of the reason he never wants to employ his kids.
