Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Gordon Ramsay.
Gordon Ramsay is a British celebrity chef, restaurateur, television presenter, and writer renowned for his culinary expertise and fiery personality. His restaurant group boasts 17 Michelin stars, with Restaurant Gordon Ramsay holding three since 2001. Ramsay gained prominence through the miniseries Boiling Point and has become a globally recognized and influential chef in the culinary world.
1998: Lawsuit from A-Z Restaurants
In 1998, following Ramsay's resignation from the Aubergine, A-Z restaurants sued him for £1 million, but eventually settled out of court.
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2003: Vegetarian Lie
In 2003, Ramsay admitted to lying to vegetarians about artichoke soup being made with vegetable stock when it was actually chicken stock.
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2005: Kitchen Nightmares Vegetarian Incident
In 2005, during the second series of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, he offered pizza to a vegetarian and said it was vegetarian when it contained ham.
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June 2006: High Court Win Against London Evening Standard
In June 2006, Gordon Ramsay won a High Court case against the London Evening Standard newspaper for alleging fakery in Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.
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June 2007: Lawsuit from Purnima's General Manager
In June 2007, Ramsay's show was sued by the terminated general manager of the New York restaurant Purnima, who alleged fakery in Kitchen Nightmares.
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August 2007: Dismissal of Purnima Lawsuit
In August 2007, the lawsuit from Purnima's general manager was dismissed voluntarily and ordered into arbitration.
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2007: Vegetarian Joke
In 2007, Ramsay joked about electrocuting his children if they ever became vegetarian.
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April 2009: Pre-Prepared Food Controversy
On 17 April 2009, it was revealed that one of Ramsay's restaurants used pre-prepared food with mark-ups of up to 586%.
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June 2009: Insult Exchange with Tracy Grimshaw
In June 2009, Ramsay started trading insults with Australian journalist Tracy Grimshaw, leading to an apology from Ramsay.
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October 2010: Start of Hacking Conspiracy
Between 23 October 2010 and 31 March 2011, Ramsay's father-in-law and his sons were accused of accessing company systems almost 2,000 times.
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October 2010: Chris Hutcheson Leaves Gordon Ramsay Holdings
In October 2010, Chris Hutcheson left his position as CEO of Gordon Ramsay Holdings Limited.
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2010: Response to Pre-Prepared Food Controversy
In 2010, Ramsay reflected on the controversy surrounding pre-prepared food in his restaurants and was unapologetic.
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March 2011: End of Hacking Conspiracy
Between 23 October 2010 and 31 March 2011, Ramsay's father-in-law and his sons were accused of accessing company systems almost 2,000 times.
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March 2012: Lawsuit Against Laurier Gordon Ramsay
On 21 March 2012, Gordon Ramsay filed a $2.7 million lawsuit against his former partners of his restaurant in Montreal, Quebec, the Laurier Gordon Ramsay, over lost licensing fees and defamatory statements.
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April 2013: Closure of Laurier 1936
On 16 April 2013, just over a year after Gordon Ramsay filed a lawsuit, Laurier 1936 closed.
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January 2014: High Court Case Loss
In January 2014, Gordon Ramsay lost a high court case in relation to the York & Albany pub, regarding a personal guarantee signed by his father-in-law.
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2016: Twitter Vegan Comment
In 2016, Ramsay joked on Twitter that he was allergic to "Vegans".
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April 2017: Chris Hutcheson Pleads Guilty to Hacking
In April 2017, Chris Hutcheson pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to hack into the computers of Gordon Ramsay Holdings Limited.
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June 2017: Father-in-law's Jail Sentence
On 7 June 2017, Ramsay's father-in-law, Chris Hutcheson, was jailed for six months for conspiring to hack a computer system relating to the Ramsays' business interests.
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March 2020: Layoffs due to Coronavirus Lockdown
In March 2020, Gordon Ramsay laid off more than 500 staff in the UK after several of his restaurants had to temporarily close due to the coronavirus lockdown, leading to public criticism.
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March 2022: Controversial Remark about Cornish People
On 23 March 2022, Ramsay remarked, "...Trust me I absolutely love Cornwall, it's just the Cornish I can't stand."
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May 2022: Legal Victory in New York
In May 2022, a New York Superior Court judge ended an eight-year legal battle between Gordon Ramsay and his former business partner at The Fat Cow Gordon Ramsay restaurant in Los Angeles, ruling that Gordon Ramsay should be paid $4.5 million in damages and court fee coverage.
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