Gordon Ramsay has spoken candidly about the poverty that marked his childhood, describing his early years as “disgusting” and admitting there were times when he went days without food.
The revelations come in his new Netflix documentary in six chapters Being Gordon Ramsaywhich airs from Wednesday and follows the chef as he pours his energy into his latest high-risk project in the city of London.
In addition to the pressure of launching a major new business, the series sees Ramsay reflect on the hardships that fueled his relentless work ethic.
In an emotional episode, Ramsay recalls growing up on council estates after being born in Scotland and moving to England as a child.
He remembers relying on food vouchers at school and the shame that came with them, and explains how poverty affected him as a teenager.
“I was hungry all the time, there was no food in the house,” he says in the series.
“Sometimes I was really embarrassed to use my vouchers to get my free meat pie in case, you know, when I was 15 or 16, a girl I liked saw me. I was a skinny fucking bean. I remember eating toothpaste thinking it was delicious because there were several nights we never ate.”
Reflecting on the bigger picture, Ramsay adds: “It’s appalling that we’re in this situation now. It’s disgusting, it’s a disgrace. The system is dysfunctional.”
Those experiences have fueled her involvement with the charity Feeding Britain, which aims to provide affordable food to around 800,000 children living in poverty across the UK.
The documentary also addresses painful family relationships.
Ramsay’s father, who died of a heart attack aged 53, struggled with alcoholism, while his younger brother Ronnie is addicted to heroin.
The chef becomes visibly emotional as he remembers a recent phone call with his brother after a long period without speaking.
“It was just sad because at the end of that call he said, ‘Did I hear you asking for my banking details? I don’t have electricity,'” Ramsay recalls.
“And then I said, ‘Come on, Ronnie, you know damn well that if I knew that was going to use electricity, I would do it. But I know damn well that it’s going to use drugs.'” And it hurts me, it kills me, friend. “We have been down this road many times.”
The series follows Ramsay over nine months as he prepares to open several businesses within London’s iconic 22 Bishopsgate skyscraper, including Britain’s tallest restaurant, the Gordon Ramsay High Restaurant, located on the 60th floor.
The intimate experience at the 12-person chef’s table has already earned it another Michelin star.
Ramsay, who trained under Marco Pierre White before opening his first restaurant at 35 and quickly earning three Michelin stars, admits the fear of losing everything still drives him.
“There’s always that pang of fear that you’re going to lose control,” he says in the trailer. “I’ve lost stars; I’ve closed several restaurants throughout my career. That’s what puts fuel in my tank.”
Despite his global success and reputation as one of the world’s most famous chefs, Ramsay says rewatching the documentary is not something he plans to do.
“I won’t see it,” he admits with a smile. “I never watch myself on TV because it’s incredibly stressful.”
By laying bare his past along with the pressure of building a new culinary landmark, Being Gordon Ramsay offers a raw look at how hardship, family pain, and fear of failure have shaped the chef behind the screams, and why his memories of childhood poverty remain so important today.
