Gordon Ramsay's Angriest Moment On The Set Of Hell's Kitchen - Exclusive
If you're a fan of Hell's Kitchen, you're likely no stranger to the rages of Gordon Ramsay. Those tantrums are part of the show's appeal; you wouldn't be the only one who secretly hoped for some kitchen fails, just to see Ramsay get revved up. It does make for some pretty riveting television, when a contestant gets taken to task for serving a chicken breast that tasted like a "dehydrated camel turd." Perhaps that's why the show is now in its 19th season on FOX and counting!
So what's pushed this Brit's buttons the most? To get the answer to this question, Mashed interviewed someone who has known this cooking TV legend for years, both on and off camera: Chef Christina Wilson, the judge of this season's "Red Kitchen" and winner of Hell's Kitchen season 10. The contestant, judge, and head chef at Gordon Ramsay Steak in the Paris Las Vegas said a relatively recent incident provoked the most anger she's ever seen from Ramsay. "One of the craziest that I saw was in Season 18," Wilson said. "It was early days, I want to say, maybe second or third dinner service? I think it was the third dinner service. There was a young lady called Jennifer, who was with the returning all-stars, over in the blue kitchen." Wilson is referring to Florida chef Jennifer Gavin, who had said Ramsay deliberately set aside her pan of leeks so she would fail (per Chicago Tribune).
What motivated Gordon Ramsay's angriest moment
As Wilson described the confrontation between Ramsay and Gavin, tempers were at an all-time high. "And, all of the sudden, I hear all of this commotion, and I look over, and he and Jennifer were going at it. And I have never in my life seen Gordon get that angry," she recounted. So what got Ramsay riled up? According to Wilson, it was the accusation that he had messed up Gavin's food on purpose. "It was because she had accused him of sabotaging something that she had brought to the pass," Wilson explained. "[Gordon] took that very personally, and I've never seen him lose his temper like that in a service. He slammed down the whole bus tub. Yeah, she got kicked out immediately!"
Wilson explained that this contestant's attempt to smudge his reputation was what triggered Ramsay. "I think you can come after a lot with Gordon, and he'll stand there nose to nose and defend it," she said. "But coming after his integrity, for a show like Hell's Kitchen, that's been on now, coming up on 19 seasons, and helped really build the foundation of his U.S. success — anybody that works on that show will tell you how much goes into it." As Wilson sees it, Jennifer's remarks were not just about Ramsay, but about the entire series, including the producers, editors, and other staff members who have devoted their careers to his content. "I think he didn't just take it as an insult to himself, but to what the rest of us do for that show also," she said. "It was the one and only time I ever saw that happen. It shocked the hell out of me, but it let me get my red team a little further ahead in the dinner service!"
Gordon Ramsay gets mad when his reputation is threatened, according to long-time sous-chef
In thinking about the other times Ramsay lost his temper, Wilson detected a pattern. "I would say that, the only time you ever really see him throwing plates, punching salmon, doing that kind of thing is during dinner service," she observed. "He only does it on Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares. Or 24 Hours to Hell and Back, that kind of thing. And you see that side of him when it's either his name on the plate or guests are paying for food."
In contrast, Wilson added, "you don't see him get that way during challenges. You'll see him be really constructive and give you some pretty honest feedback." In fact, Wilson said Ramsay is a great mentor and coach to everyone on his show who puts in the effort. "The only time he really gets wound up is if food that shouldn't be going out of the kitchen is going out of the kitchen."
You can catch Chef Christina Wilson on season 19 of Hell's Kitchen, now on FOX.