10 Reasons To Love Gordon Ramsay

Hes Heaven in Hell's Kitchen and a Dream on Kitchen Nightmares

Jul 1, 2008 Paula Clouse

TV superstar Chef Gordon Ramsay sizzles like none other on Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares. His tempermental on-screen antics leave everyone begging for seconds.

Ten Reasons To Love Chef Gordon Ramsay

  1. You can believe the hype. Too many celebrities never fully live up to their overblown reputations. By all accounts, Ramsay’s genius is the real deal.Awards and honors for his cooking are too numerous to count. He’s considered one of the world’s greatest chefs by peers, patrons, and critics alike. What Ramsay the Great lacks in subtlety, he more than makes up for in culinary mojo.
  2. He likes to “speak with the manager.” Do-nothing restaurant managers are Chef’s favorite bugs to squash. Such moments are sweet vindication for every server who has been made to suffer a sport-coat-wearing pinhead on a power trip.
  3. Funny Insults. There’s just no keeping a straight face when a raging Ramsay calls someone a “donkey.” Most of his one-liners are too colorful to be reprinted here, but occasionally we’ll get a nonsensical gem like, “This place has gone pear-shaped!” Huh?
  4. Cult of Personality. A guy who tops the “Worst Boss” and “Worst Bully” lists should have a long line of disgruntled employees trailing behind him, right? Not so much. His staff retention rate at his restaurants is high (87%). With very few exceptions, his television “victims” line up to sing his praises. Brutal and uncompromising, he pushes people to get the best out of them. And they love him for it.
  5. Trans-Atlantic Appeal. Not since the Beatles has anyone so thoroughly conquered the British Isles, only to follow-up with a meteoric rise in the U.S. Fuse a snooty British accent with the coarse language of a vulgar American, and that’s the ball game.
  6. The Dramatic Pause. A Hell’s Kitchen tradition: Elimination drags out over at least two commercial breaks, with Chef announcing dramatically, “The person leaving Hell’s Kitchen IS—“ Cut to a flashy visual of a just-blown-out candle, the show’s trademark devil’s pitchfork conjured from a ghostly puff of smoke. We viewers may go on a brief Ramsay-esque tirade (“Gordon, you donkey!”), but we keep hands off that remote.
  7. The Midas Touch. Three top-rated television shows, numerous best-selling books, and more successful restaurants than you can shake a spatula at. No matter how much Ramsay the public consumes, there’s always room for seconds.
  8. Overcame Hardship With A Vengeance. You won’t see this son of a violent alcoholic weeping into his demi-glace anytime soon. A horrific upbringing compelled Ramsay to fork off in a new direction - devoted husband and loving father.
  9. Obligatory Chest Shot. You wouldn’t know Ramsay was fairly well ripped underneath that stuffy white chef’s jacket. Not unless you’re a regular viewer of Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, that is. Once he’s sufficiently slapped a problem eatery into shape, Chef readies himself for the place’s first post-Ramsay service. Once an episode, he changes into his chef’s whites with cameras rolling. No one knows why. But hey, no one’s complaining either.
  10. Julia’s Elimination. Who can forget fan favorite Julia, the short order cook from Hell’s Kitchen 3? Soft-spoken, tenacious and loveable, her only formal training came from the Waffle House. Yet Gordon saw the budding of culinary greatness in her. All she lacked was a top-notch education. At Julia’s elimination, Ramsay shocked everyone when he announced he was sending her out of Hell’s Kitchen (for now) and into culinary school, on his own dime. “I want you to come back,” he said gently, “and win it hands-down.” Whether she does or not remains to be seen, but seeing the “compassionate mentor” side of Ramsay the Terrible was priceless. Seems “Big Boy” has a heart, after all.

The copyright of the article 10 Reasons To Love Gordon Ramsay in Reality TV is owned by Paula Clouse. Permission to republish 10 Reasons To Love Gordon Ramsay in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Chef Gordon Ramsay, Side Salad Chef Gordon Ramsay
   
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