After Brexit could France be heading for la Frexit?
As he hosts a quirky new BBC game show where contestants stack gold bars to win cash, the shouty chef and father-of-five claims he’s a changed man... at least where his family is concerned
DEMANDS for Frexit are growing louder as President Emmanuel Macron’s popularity sinks in France.
Charles-Henri Gallois, leader of the drive to pull the country out of the EU, has branded the bloc’s policies “a disaster” for his homeland.
The 33-year-old president of the Generation Frexit campaign group wants France to take back sovereignty and copy the UK’s withdrawal.
Britain’s departure from the EU on December 31 has seen exit campaigns in several other member states ramp up pressure on Brussels chiefs.
Mr Macron faces louder calls to let the French have their own in-out referendum. Meanwhile, 81 per cent of the country thinks his centre-right regime “does not know where it is going” in tackling Covid, according to a poll by the Odoxa Institut.
Mr Gallois – who celebrated Brexit with anti-EU campaign leader Nigel Farage last year – told the Daily Express the pandemic “had really shown that we need our sovereignty back. EU policies are a disaster for France.
“There is, of course, the vaccine rollout fiasco but it’s not the only thing.
“The EU Commission has always put pressure on our health system to reduce costs and has given green light for relocations de-industrialisation.
“We have paid a high price: we were not able to produce masks or medicines and we did not have enough hospital beds.”
Mr Gallois added: “The French are each time more aware that we need this sovereignty. It won’t happen if we don’t have Frexit, as it’s carved in stone in EU treaties.”
He accused Mr Macron of doing the “EU dirty job” and imposing bloc reforms that are not wanted in France. He added: “There was no enthusiasm for him. He has always been elected by default.
“With Covid-19 measures, political life is quite locked down as well. He benefits from that as it prevents real opposition to emerge.
“He does the EU policy.This is not the policy that French people want.”
Mr Gallois thinks France might quit as soon as next year, if Mr Macron loses the presidential election to “a democrat... [who] dares to organise this referendum. “We will put as much pressure as we can on all the candidates to get this.” the and
SOME things used to be personal, but stars yesterday rushed to social media to share a volley of Valentine snaps.
Sir Paul McCartney wished wife Nancy Shevell, “the most wonderful Valentine’s Day ever” on Twitter underneath a picture of her standing in a field of sunflowers.
Actress Sheridan Smith shared a treasured family snap with fiance Jamie Horn and their new son Billy, while Kate and Rio Ferdinand revealed their Sunday morning with baby son Cree – in matching PJs.
Clinch
Victoria Beckham gushed about her former footballer husband, David: “I love you so much”, while This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby shared a selfie of her and husband Dan Baldwin on a sun-kissed beach.
Treating us to passionate snogs, former England footballer Wayne Rooney posted a pic of him with wife Coleen, while Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman uploaded a snap of her in a clinch with husband Keith Urban.
It’s just plain cupid…
YOU MIGHT want to sit down before you read the next paragraph, it’s that shocking. Gordon Ramsay – the man who once said: “I’ve never been a hands-on dad. I’m not ashamed to admit it, but you can’t run a restaurant and be home for tea at 4:30pm and bath and change nappies” – is a reformed character.
The multi-award-winning chef confesses that during lockdown he has really enjoyed changing his youngest child’s nappies, and says that one of the joys of the past year has been the opportunity to bond with his oneyear-old son Oscar, whose birth was announced thus by Gordon on Instagram: “After three Baftas and one Emmy... finally we have won an Oscar.”
The 54-year-old, who has been married for 25 years to Tana, and is also the devoted father of four other children, Megan, 23, twins Jack and Holly, 21, and Matilda, 19, tells the Express: “I must have gone through about 150 nappies with Oscar. I can literally change a nappy now with my eyes closed.”
An idea for his next TV series, perhaps?
Gordon, who almost burst with paternal pride when Jack joined the Royal Marines in October, continues: “Oscar has become my best mate. And how fitting is that? My first best mate is now a Royal Marine Commando, and I have a new best mate in Oscar.” The chef has evidently lapped up the chance to grow closer to his baby son during lockdown.
But for all that, there is one thing Gordon has not yet been allowed to do. “I think he should have a buzz cut. I’d like to suggest we go for a number two on top and shave the sides with a number one. But trying to get that past Tana at the moment is impossible.”
It’s not just Oscar whom Gordon has relished being with during the pandemic. Since March, the chef has loved hanging out with Tana, 46, and their five children. “Having a chance to spend that time with the family is unprecedented. On top of that, it has been quality time,” he says.
“We were very fortunate having all seven of us together for several months. The only one we’re missing now is Jack – he’s off as a Royal Marine. But the opportunity to reconnect as a family has been extraordinary.” Given that he has, over his 35-year career, amassed no fewer than 16 Michelin stars, Gordon has, quite unsurprisingly, taken on the mantle of the family cook during lockdown.
As an example, he says that last night he made the family “some amazing ribs”. However, what he has been most proud of doing in the kitchen over the past year has been baking bread. “Just making a starter and using a wonderful, yeast-activated, natural fermentation process to that make the most been fabulous.”
Even so, Gordon admits that his job as the family cook has been pretty full-on. “For a chef in lockdown, it’s like running a restaurant seven days a week. No one wants to go home. It’s just constantly, ‘What’s for dinner, Dad?’ But I’m enjoying every minute of it, between you and me!”
In addition, he has had the stress of running his restaurant empire at a time when most of his establishments have been closed for the best part of the last year. He acknowledges that it’s been hard.
“I think the Government has been super supportive and incredibly concerned. That means landlords have been able to take a bit of a breather, which is good.”
But the pressure has still been enormous. Gordon admits: “We had to cancel 2,500 reservations through the month of December.
“That’s the one glory month that gets us through that first part of the year when everyone goes dry and becomes a vegan for 90 days. So I’m not going to lie, it’s been tough.”
Always eager to accentuate the positive, though, the chef continues: “Fingers crossed, every restaurant in the group will be reopening in March with new additions.
“Over Zoom we have been trying and testing new developments. I also spend a lot of delicious sourdough has time on a daily basis with the youngsters in the group, which is super, super important. I’m encouraging them to take long walks and get a lot of fresh air. I want them to feel free.”
SO WHAT has Gordon missed most during the lockdown? “I haven’t missed the food critics!” he jokes. “But those guys are coming back! “What I have missed more than anything is the atmosphere that restaurants create. That moment when you open those doors, you walk into a restaurant, you sit down with someone you haven’t seen for a couple of weeks, you’re breaking bread, and you’ve got a lovely cocktail and amazing food – that’s what I have missed.
“And then the smiles on people’s faces. There’s something quite unique about being in that arena.”
During lockdown, Gordon has also been developing a very surprising new career as a BBC1 game show host.
Gordon Ramsay’s Bank Balance is set in a cavernous vault where contestants have to stack as many gold bars as possible on a Bank Balance Board. Their attempt to win