Gordon Ramsay Is ‘Incredibly Sensitive’ and a ‘Softie’ as a Dad to 5 Kids—Inside His Happy Home Life (Exclusive)
The ‘Kitchen Nightmares’ host created a culinary empire on sharp criticism and saucy language but at home, Ramsay says his five kids “put me in my place”. Gordon Ramsay has a sensitive side you don’t often see on TV.
While on set of his PEOPLE cover story (hitting newsstands Friday) on the rooftop terrace of his London apartment, Ramsay makes a fatherly faux pas. With Oscar, his youngest child, on his shoulders, he takes away a sandwich the 4-year-old is eating and tosses it to the birds in an effort to get him to smile for the camera.
“He flipped his s—,” Ramsay says of the ensuing meltdown. You might call the 56-year-old an “idiot sandwich”—one of his most iconic disses turned meme—for the mistake, but he recovers quickly, kicking into dad mode: making funny faces, offering a replacement sandwich or one of the Lifesavers stashed in his pocket for moments like this.
The display is a far cry from the famously foul-mouthed chef who rose to stardom hurling harsh feedback on Fox shows like Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares (the latter returning on Sept. 25 after nearly 10 years).
Gordon Ramsay shot at home in London on September 11, 2023
“Oscar’s only 4, but he’s grown up rapidly because of his older siblings,” says Ramsay (with Tana, Holly and Oscar in London.). ZOE MCCONNELL
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“The kids have brought the most emotion out of me,” concedes Ramsay, who also shares daughter Megan, 25, twins Jack and Holly, 23, and daughter Matilda (“Tilly”), 21, with his wife, Tana. “It’s funny, isn’t it? Because everyone thinks, ‘God, you must be an absolute ass to be at home with.’ [But] Tana’s super fierce, an ex-Montessori school teacher. So I’m the softie.”
Of course, it’s his tougher, onscreen personality that made him a global star, one with an empire that includes four top-rated prime-time shows, 77 restaurants worldwide, seven Michelin stars, a frozen-food line and 33 books. His latest title, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, celebrates 25 years of his London flagship eatery by the same name. In 2021 he teamed up with Fox to create a production company with offices in London, Los Angeles and Glasgow, cementing his partnership with the network for years to come.
“I think everyone’s got a good and bad side in them,” he says. “I’m just very good at highlighting the bad that turned into something incredible.”
Gordon Ramsay PEOPLE cover
ZOE MCCONNELL
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Tana, 49, a cookbook author who married Ramsay in 1996, says he’s always been a “larger than life” character: “I remember when I first met him [at 18]—and I was actually dating one of his friends—I said, ‘Oh my God, he’s so arrogant,’ because it’s always his voice you heard. He was always the one riling everyone up. In that respect, he has not changed at all. It’s just gotten more obvious. But at the same time, he is, believe it or not, incredibly sensitive—he’s a crier.”
Adds daughter Holly: “The day he walks me down the aisle, we are going to need so many tissues. My veil will have to be [made of] tissues so he can walk behind me and mop up his tears.”
Ramsay gets especially worked up sharing his pride for his “amazing” children. “Jack’s a Royal Marine commando, off defending the country in some of the most extreme conditions,” he says. “Megan’s an incredible police officer. Holly’s gone into fashion. Tilly’s studying at university for her degree. Tana and I came from a family with no degrees.”
Before he can get misty, he lightens the mood with a joke and one of his signature f-bombs: “I’m more concerned there’s no one following in my footsteps. Unbeknownst to Tana, I’ll go upstairs and stick [kitchen tools] in Oscar’s hand so he wakes up like that, with a spoon and a whisk, thinking, ‘What the f— are these for?’ ”
We always wanted a big family. We just have a blast
— GORDON RAMSAY
The family’s home base is in the London borough of Wandsworth, but Ramsay, Tana and Oscar often travel to L.A., where they have a house, during filming. “The three of us are always together, and that upsets the other four,” Ramsay says. “We say, ‘Hey, you’ve had your time with Mom and Dad! It’s Oscar’s time.’ ” When they’re apart, says Tana, “Gordon likes to phone about 25 times a day.”
Family meals are, unsurprisingly, filled with lively conversation and well-prepared food, usually cooked by Tana. (“The kids always say my food’s too posh,” explains Ramsay, feigning insult.)
As the children—who share their father’s passion for biking, hiking and swimming—have gotten older, Ramsay has realized the importance of taking the time to listen.
Gordon Ramsey family photo taken 25th Dec 2022 in Rock, Cornwall.
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