Gordon Ramsay

Known as Hollywood’s toughest culinary boss, Gordon Ramsay is an internationally revered chef. Both his television series, Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares, have highlighted his temper and perfectionism, helping make him one of the most popular and recognizable chefs around the globe.

Gordon James Ramsay was born November 8, 1966 in Johnstone, Scotland. His mother was a nurse, while his father held a variety of jobs from shopkeeper to welder to part-time country singer. Ramsay reports his childhood as being full of abuse by his father, claiming he was quick to drink and womanize. By the age of sixteen, he’d moved out of the family home and into a flat with his sister.

Ramsay played competitive football with Warwickshire when he was twelve, but he was quickly riddled with injuries. With his new passion of cooking beginning to thrive, Ramsay decided to leave the game for good.

Pursuing his education at a local college, Ramsay first began studying for hotel management. He eventually fell into culinary training and worked a variety of jobs with his newly acquired skills. He eventually made the move to London where he worked under the famously demanding Marco Pierre White.

Taking the ensuing abuse for nearly three years, Ramsay finally decided the only way to move ahead was to broaden his skill base. To that end, he learned French cuisine. He took a variety of new jobs, all of which culminated in a move to Paris. Three years passed before he needed another break from the stressful world of high end cooking.

By 1993, Ramsay returned to London and finally earned a spot as head chef. Tensions between Ramsay and his business owners, however, led to the end of this relationship in 1997. Quick to land on his feet, Ramsay opened a new restaurant by 1998. As his popularity grew and his skill in the kitchen became more renowned, his empire grew as well. He began opening sites all across the globe from Tokyo to New York City to Dubai.

Ramsay’s onscreen debut came in 1998 with Ramsay’s Boiling Point beside the narrator Jack Davenport. But it would be his breakout hit Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares that would make him a familiar face outside the strictly culinary world. His popularity eventually made it to the United States, and his show Hell’s Kitchen debuted in 2005. His staff included Monique Soltani, Bonnie Muirhead, Jabari Jones, Julie Burrise, and others. He appeared concurrently on a program entitled The F Word.

September 19, 2007 saw the debut of the American version of Kitchen Nightmares. He increased his visibility by making the talk show rounds, visiting everything from Ellen: the Ellen DeGeneres Show to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to Larry King Live.

Ramsay has written many cookbooks and has participated in a multitude of charity events, including one football match against music star Robbie Williams.

On November 15, 2002, Ramsay ran into legal trouble when he was charged with a DUI. He remained charged, but the case was not pursued.

In his personal life, Ramsay married schoolteacher Elizabeth “Tana” Ramsay in 1996. They are currently still together, and they have four children.

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