The Time Gordon Ramsay Was Held At Gunpoint While Filming

Gordon Ramsay has recently come under fire for his television series, "Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted," due to accusations of cultural appropriation. Yet, this is not the first time Ramsay has been under the gun – literally. The chef revealed that he was once held at gunpoint while working on a different television show.

According to Delish, the incident took place when Ramsay was in Costa Rica filming "The Big Fish Fight." In the series, famous British chefs fight to bring about more sustainable fishing practices. For one of the episodes, Ramsay aimed to raise awareness about shark finning and fishermen who poach sharks to make shark fin soup. 

Although the fins are considered a delicacy in some places, the act of shark finning is pretty gruesome. According to the Animal Welfare Institute, demand for those fins has led to an estimated 73 million shark deaths a year. But some of the humans involved in that business aren't just deadly to sharks. Ramsay found himself in deep water when he encountered a group of gun-toting Costa Rican gangsters while trying to shed a light on the illegal fin trade (via Eater).

Ramsay was warned to leave Costa Rica

Ramsay stumbled upon illegal fishing boats only to find a large number of shark fins hidden on the rooftop. Delish explains that when he confronted the fishermen, an argument began, causing men to pull guns on Ramsay and the television crew.

The television personality recalled that when "I got back downstairs they tipped a barrel of petrol over me. Then these cars with blacked-out windows suddenly appeared from nowhere, trying to block us in. We dived into the car and peeled off." Who knew filming would lead to such a scary experience! 

Due to this unfortunate situation, Ramsay was counseled by local police to depart from the country as soon as possible. The Costa Rican authorities were quoted as saying, "If you set one foot in there [the fishing boats] they'll shoot you." Now, Ramsay is known to have some outrageous experiences, but this one takes the cake. Maybe sticking to "Hell's Kitchen" from now on is the safer choice.