Why Gordon Ramsay Is Always Angry On TV
Wielding a thick English accent, red cheeks, and a permanent scowl, Gordon Ramsay has won the hearts of millions simply by doing what he does best: wailing on inexperienced chefs. With ever-abounding curse words stashed in his back pocket, Ramsay's indignant behavior has garnered the attention of the masses as he continues to capitalize on his need for utter perfection when it comes to dishing up great food.
Admittedly, most of us agree that good food should be served up right, but what's so fascinating about watching Gordon is the sheer passion he exudes to ensure that actually happens.
Why is Chef Ramsay always angry? Is it just "how he is" or is there a little more to it? Hey, we don't know the man, but after watching countless episodes of his ever-popular TV shows, we're starting to get a sense of what makes him tick. Join us as we explore Gordon Ramsay's triggers in hopes of uncovering why Gordon Ramsay is always so angry on TV.
He gets pretty fired up when food is cooked incorrectly
We all know how annoying it can be to be offered food that isn't quite right at a restaurant, and we're certain that's why Gordon, or Mr. Ramsay, as we might call him, gets so fired up when food is served incorrectly. We've seen it time and time again and know for certain that poorly cooked scallops, steaks, and other dishes are a surefire way to set him ablaze.
In one particular episode, we saw Chef Ramsay just about blow his top for scallops that didn't quite suit his fancy. Getting in a young chef's face, he blasts the inexperienced cook for attempting to dish up scallops that weren't "cooked perfectly." Of course, it didn't help that this particular contestant seemed to be quite angry as well, making for a very tense and dramatic moment that left us (and undoubtedly many others) clinging to the edge of our seats. In another nail-biting clip, Ramsay challenges a chef for forgetting to soak lettuce before adding the rest of the ingredients for the dish.
Both scenes got pretty heated, and as a result, we know this is one area in which Chef Ramsay can be pretty particular. Heads up to any future chefs out there planning to work under Gordon's guidance: Be cautious of what you're doing and make sure to cook up your entrées correctly — or else.
He won't let chefs make excuses
In defense of Gordon Ramsay's perpetual anger, a chef-in-training usually attempts to make excuses. There's no doubt about it; if there's one thing Chef Ramsay hates the most, it's gotta be excuses.
Here we reference that memorable "scallops" episode of "Hell's Kitchen" once again to highlight this particular trigger point for Chef Ramsay. As the heated exchange between Chef Ramsay the younger male contestant goes on, the young chef insists that Gordon should "check the cameras" to verify the claims he was making. Besides the fact that the scallops weren't properly cooked, it seems the "check the cameras" thing also sent Gordon off. Gordon's answer to this was such a strong one that we're hesitant to even quote his exact words here. Let's just say he really wasn't happy about it. In terms of other food fiascos, there was also that time when a chef put the blame on Ramsay himself for a day of awful service. The chef insisted that ... without giving too many details ... it was because of Chef Ramsay that the day ended up being a total failure. And yes, he boldly said this to Gordon ... to his face!
Yeah, that didn't go over too well, either. All in all, it seems that if Gordon says it, then that's that, folks. Making excuses only adds fire to the flame, so don't even try it.
Horribly presented food ticks him off
It's one thing if the food tastes great, but presentation is just as important. Sometimes, the very sight of an entrée can be off-putting, and Gordon, apparently, simply doesn't have time for it.
There are a number of instances we can recall in which Chef Ramsay turned his nose up at something simply because it looked bad. Giving it a disgusted look and running servers (or even managers) through a gamut of questions dealing with what it is and how it was made is usually how all of this kicks off on a typical episode of "Kitchen Nightmares".
As far as "Hell's Kitchen" goes, needless to say, Ramsay expects utter perfection. Many a chef has been shouted down for mis-plated or sloppily assembled entrées, and we don't expect his standards to change any time soon. But hey, it's Chef Ramsay, right? Everyone knows what they're signing up for when they volunteer to star on the show.
He hates when food comes out raw
Raw food isn't only an annoyance. After all, we could expect Gordon to writhe in aggravation at practically anything done in the kitchen at this point. But if we're honest, serving food that's raw is quite different from simply being sloppily plated or imperfectly cooked. Raw food can actually make someone sick, especially when it comes to individuals with compromised immune systems. So, how else might you expect Gordon to act when he's discovered a chef is trying to serve a dish raw?
Stone-cold halibut, uncooked steak, raw seafood ... sigh. Gordon Ramsay's having none of it, and neither are we. Add to that a never-ending list of excuses from "Hell's Kitchen" participants, and you can expect things to get quite tense. Some of the ugliest interactions we've seen between Chef Ramsay and his contestants have been over raw food, and we must admit, it is a pretty serious offense. Expect Gordon to bring the heat on this issue; it's important, and he has a zero-tolerance policy because of it.
Frozen and premade foods tend to get under his skin
Any true fan of Gordon Ramsay knows that he hates — and we do mean hates — frozen and premade foods. It's almost like the man has some sort of sixth sense when it comes to determining whether a certain kind of food is fresh. We see his disdain most often on "Kitchen Nightmares" as he drags restaurants through the mud for their use of anything other than high-quality and fresh ingredients.
Having said this, we know that Chef Ramsay has reportedly dropped his own line of frozen food products, which we can only assume must be heads above the rest since he's so critical of all other frozen food and premade options on the market. Actually, we're quite surprised at this move, given his utter contempt for this food type. Either way, when it comes to other people, and more specifically, other restaurants, Chef Ramsay does not tolerate being served frozen or premade meals. Yikes!
He doesn't like outdated restaurant decor
We'd also like to make special note of the fact that Gordon Ramsay seems to have a level of scorn for old, less clean facilities. He's made comments about cobwebs and time-warps before, leading us to believe that his expectation is that most restaurants keep their surroundings updated, or at least clean! We, too, like a modernized restaurant environment; however, we'll admit that some of the best food can come from some of the most unexpected, and sometimes even downright ugly, places.
Nevertheless, given that Gordon Ramsay's restaurants seem to be "high-end," we understand that going somewhere that looks "lesser than" might be an annoyance to him. Still, we don't think this offense sets him off as badly as poorly cooked food does; in fact, we're certain that if a place weren't particularly attractive but served up a mean dish, he'd be more than willing to forgive its retro vibes.
He is annoyed when customers approach the kitchen
Wow. If there's one surefire way to get Gordon in a tizzy, approaching the kitchen is undoubtedly it. Now, in all honesty, most of these customers have a point. They've been waiting a long time for their food, may not be satisfied with their dish, or may have a variety of other excuses for why they've deemed it necessary to stomp themselves up to "Hell's" kitchen.
No matter what the reason is, this is one supreme way to get Chef Ramsay riled up. And when we say riled up, we mean all the way up. While it may seem odd, it's clear that Chef Ramsay can get just as upset with customers as he does his own "Hell's Kitchen" chefs. It's ironic because the very customers he aims so hard to please with a good meal are the very ones he chews out if they dare approach him directly.
So, what exactly does he say? It's too much (and too vulgar) to mention. From calling guests "bimbos" to "dogs," and a few other choice words, let's just say that you're probably better off alerting your server of your woes than approaching the man himself.
He can't stand bland food
Bland food and Gordon Ramsay? Yeah, the two simply do not mix. To be frank, almost every Gordon Ramsay-created recipe we've ever tried was outrageously flavorful, with just the right spices and nuances to make the dish truly stunning. So, we can only surmise that this is the reason Gordon Ramsay doesn't take kindly to foods that are served up bland. In fact, we can say he utterly despises it.
In a telling episode of "Hell's Kitchen", we see the red team getting completely demolished by Ramsay for sending out a plate of beef carpaccio that lacked flavor. As the patron (who was later chewed out by Gordon Ramsay for approaching the kitchen herself) exclaimed, the dish had "about as much flavor as a piece of paper." Chef Gordon then, in utter exasperation, ordered the red team to make the dish again — this time with the seasoning, of course.
Obviously, we don't fault Ramsay for this one, because after all, most foods need seasoning to taste well. But definitely count this as one of the ways you can set off Chef Ramsay in a jiffy — if you dare.
Oh, and don't forget the time he punched a salmon filet...
Gordon Ramsay punching salmon fillets? After all that you've read up until this point, does this honestly even surprise you? In a peculiar and bewildering episode of "Hell's Kitchen," we do indeed catch Gordon Ramsay angrily punching a "cooked" fillet of salmon. We use the word "cooked" here because the salmon was raw in the middle, which explains the reason for his fit of anger.
In this episode, Gordon goes on a tangent about how salmon should be cooked properly and not over too high a heat. He then goes to punch the salmon, consequently splattering the meat all over the place.
This, of course, is another dire warning to those working with Chef Ramsay to please ensure the food is cooked properly. After all, he is known to go into such a rage that it could literally cause him to punch through a piece of meat. And this alone, friends, ought to be enough to scare you.
He can't stand chefs who lie
Is there anyone out there who loves liars? Not likely. But we can attest that Chef Ramsay truly can't stand them, especially when it comes to a chef lying directly to his face.
In "Kitchen Nightmares", Chef Gordon Ramsay approaches one kitchen staff that seems to have improperly cooked potatoes. This chef insisted that he did, indeed, oven-bake the potatoes rather than fry them; however, Gordon Ramsay knew this wasn't true. After confronting him several times about the issue, Gordon then went on to ask another worker how the potatoes were made. It was then revealed that Ramsay's gut instinct was right all along ... that staff worker lied about the way the potatoes were cooked.
The results weren't good. Gordon confronted the man, exposed him to his manager, exclaimed how much he hated liars, and then walked right off. Just goes to show that lying to Chef Ramsay is another way to keep him angry.
He hates when chefs talk back
Talking back isn't something your mother tolerated, and darn it, don't expect Gordon to tolerate it, either. Not only does Chef Ramsay hate when chefs talk back, but there have been a few times when things actually almost got physical.
Take the time when a chef challenged Gordon Ramsay to a fight during an elimination. Yep, you read that right. This chef whisked off his coat, marched all the way up to Ramsay, got in his face, and asked him if he wanted to "take this outside." Being the smart guy that Ramsay is, he stayed calm and was absolutely unfazed. The combative young chef ended up storming off, but we'd venture to guess that he remained unaware of a little-known secret: Gordon Ramsay trained in mixed martial arts. So, if things ever did get physical between Gordon Ramsay and other chefs, it likely wouldn't end well for the challenger.
Just sayin'.
But all of this could all just be a part of his business persona
With all this considered, it can be hard not to wonder whether Gordon Ramsay is as much of a pill as he appears to be on set. After all, most of us understand that Gordon has built his career around being a raging bull in a china shop when it comes to offering good food and impeccable service. But how much of that is the real deal?
We will say that there are many versions of Gordon Ramsay we've seen on TV, and not all personas are the same. Some of his normal online cooking clips offer really great recipes and feature him in a relaxed, casual atmosphere that is almost therapeutic to watch. This persona is much different from the one we get from "Hell's Kitchen," "Kitchen Nightmares," or "Masterchef," which leaves us to beg the question, "Which is the real Gordon Ramsay?"
Honestly, it's probably a mixture of both. Either way, folks continue to find him entertaining, whether he spends his time reprimanding inexperienced cooks or pleasantly whipping up something delicious from his own kitchen at home.
He isn't always angry
Lastly, we must admit that Gordon Ramsay isn't always angry, even on shows like "Masterchef." It can be truly refreshing to see him take a gentler approach with those he's training, and you can tell it makes the contestants glow, as well.
In one particular "Masterchef" episode, we see Chef Gordon seemingly confronting another chef about her flustered behavior and the delay in getting meals finished. She admitted she didn't have experience baking pies and that the task was quite hard for her. What we didn't expect was for Gordon to have nothing but positive things to say about her pie following that exchange, with him giving her some of the most genuinely kind compliments we think we've ever heard the man say.
Listen, we aren't saying Gordon's an angel here, but he doesn't appear to have a complete heart of stone, either. Though he may always seem angry on TV, there are times when he gives the kind of encouragement and praise to chefs that could make anyone smile. Seeing him in that kind of mood makes us smile, too.