Gordon’s Great Escape

Season 1 SABC3 (*193) 19:30 Lifestyle

Potty-mouth kitchen king Gordon Ramsay is the first to say that “you never stop learning about food”. And that is part of the reason he took his camera team to India to film travel food show Gordon’s Great Escape (2010-2011). The other reason? “Who doesn’t like a good curry?” laughs the 51-year-old Scot.

1 Gordon loves the cuisine but adds that “I’m no expert in cooking it”. And the show was an eye-opener. “We Brits eat 3.5 million curries a week but this is bonkers. They’re trying to kill me. I’ve never had so much spice in my life!”

2 Gordon’s Great Escape was also a means to get away from the UK, although the dust has settled. In 2009 he made headlines for his public feuds with journalists, as well as serving his restaurant patrons “pre-made” food with an almost 600% mark-up.

3 The feisty chef had an intense disliking for vegetarians but changed his tune in 2011 after visiting a commercial pig farm. “Some of the things there are enough to turn me veg,” he said.

4 Despite cooking in over 17 shows, Gordon doesn’t like watching himself because he doesn’t want to become “self-obsessed like celebrities”.

5 Something he was obsessed with in 2015 was his frown lines and he took advice from reality TV star Simon Cowell (The X Factor UK, 2004-current): “I listened to what Simon said: ‘Just get it done! You will look younger!’”

6 He eats out as often as possible but hates when restaurants expect him to bring camera crews with. “Sometimes you just want a nice quiet dinner with your missus, yeah?” says Gordon. His Mrs is ex-teacher and mother to his four kids Cayetana “Tana” Ramsay.