Why Gordon Ramsay Refuses to Watch Himself on TV: ‘I’d Rather Go Out to Dinner’
In the restaurant world, chefs are famous for being temperamental and difficult to please. Gordon Ramsay seems to have embraced that image, becoming a culinary star who is probably just as famous for his profanity-laced outbursts as he is for his food.
But Ramsay probably won’t change anytime soon. He doesn’t allow himself much of an opportunity to reflect on how he acts. In fact, he pretty much refuses to even look.
Gordon Ramsay’s dramatic rise to fame
Ramsay’s career has been nothing short of meteoric. Mashed reports that he wasn’t even 30 years old when he earned acclaim and two Michelin stars as the head of London’s famous restaurant Aubergine. After five years there, he left to start his own place, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, which went on to receive three Michelin stars.
Ramsay wasn’t content to be the darling of the London culinary world, and he went on to open restaurants all over the world, in locations as far-flung as Singapore and Las Vegas.
He also moved into TV, starring in UK programs such as Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen. His success with those shows opened up even more doors, and he soon debuted US versions of the shows. Within a few years, he added Master Chef and Master Chef Junior to his TV resume.
Ramsay seemed to be everywhere — and people couldn’t help noticing that his enormous skill was matched by his hot temper.
Ramsay is famous for his outbursts
In 2018, a TV station in England, Channel 4, compiled a video made up of clips of Ramsay losing his temper. It showed him cursing at people who worked for him, calling them names, and humiliating them.
These kinds of outbursts were familiar to viewers, and it had been written off for years as typical temperamental chef behavior. But industry leaders were tired of people excusing him.
Grub Street reports that several chefs spoke up, saying that Ramsay’s treatment of his staff wasn’t just overly dramatic; it was abusive. People said it was unacceptable, and an example of a deep problem in the restaurant industry.
Ramsay has never been too concerned about what other people think of him, though. He once explained that he thought toning down his behavior would simply be pandering to elderly women, saying, “I’ve never tried to get the Great British blue-rinse nation to start falling in love with me.”
He’s not interested in self-improvement
The backlash might have inspired other people to change their ways, but Ramsay wasn’t too concerned. Although he does make an effort to do better in some areas of his life, such as parenting, working on himself isn’t really something he’s drawn to.
According to BuzzFeed, Ramsay once explained that this is why he refuses to watch himself on TV. “I don’t want to get self-obsessed and start thinking about putting makeup on and watching the way I walk. ‘Oh, did I really say that?’ F*** it. It is what it is. I’d rather watch Deadliest Catch or go out for dinner.”
Some TV chefs take a different approach, such as Guy Fieri. He doesn’t like seeing himself on TV, but he forces himself to watch his own shows. He feels that it helps him get better at what he does.
Ramsay doesn’t seem to feel the need to focus on improving himself. He is who he is, and he fully intends to stay that way. It seems to have worked pretty well for him so far. He’s been wildly successful, and it’s safe to say there’s no one like him.
