Jamie Oliver has found himself at the centre of many a famous feud over the years – one of which was notably with chef Gordon Ramsay. However, he surprisingly has little ill will toward any of his former foes.
In a new interview for The Louis Theroux Podcast, the acclaimed English chef and cookbook author spoke candidly about his beef with fellow celebrity chef Gordon – and what led to them finally becoming friends.
While Jamie admits he can’t even remember what started the whole thing now, British-American documentarian Louis Theroux, 54, recalled it stemming from Gordon, 58, body-shaming Jamie by referring to him as a “fat f**k”.
“I was always a big admirer of his,” recalls Jamie, 49. “He was doing great things… He was the protégé of Marco [Pierre White] and was killing it. We got on very well in the beginning and then as we got into our TV careers, he just bit.”
The notoriously cheeky Brit confesses he purposely antagonised the famously fiery restaurateur.
“I generally used to bite once a year and that used to set him off for another year,” shares Jamie. “I didn’t have anything against him, but it was serving its purpose for him.
“I’d have to ask Gordon what it was all about ’cause we never fell out. We got on for the first couple of years and as he did more TV, it just went on and on and on. It was painful.”
It wasn’t just hurtful for the pair, but also for their families. With their kids close in age and having grown up together – Jamie and Jools have five children, while Gordon and Tana have six – they’d naturally formed a bond.
When they couldn’t take it any longer, Jamie’s wife Jools and Gordon’s wife Tana, both 50, were forced to intervene.
The Naked Chef reveals, “In the end, actually, it was Jools and his wife Tana that sorted it out. Because they’ve got growing kids – Gordon’s got a gorgeous wife and amazing kids – and we’ve seen them all grow up. Our kids have got so much in common and they all talk on socials anyway.
“It was like, ‘Come on, Dads – grow up!’ Both of us got a telling-off, then we went to have a drink and put it all to rest. We let bygones be bygones.”
Jamie – who is a father to Poppy Honey, 23, Daisy Boo, 22, Petal Blossom, 16, Buddy Bear, 13, and River Rocket, eight – admits that Gordon was “very supportive, very kind” when his restaurants went bust, saying the Kitchen Nightmares star “sent me messages”.
He says their relationship has been back on track and in a good place for some time.
“We’re currently friends,” he confirms. “We all get into ruts and trouble, and we say things we shouldn’t do.
“The energy of the drink me and Gordon had was like, ‘Look, this is silly. Let’s just put it behind us. Let’s just crack on.’ I much prefer that place.
“Just getting a bit older and wiser, I guess I’m experienced now. I’ve seen it, smelt it, felt it… Hopefully I can make better decisions going forward based on learnings for better or worse.”
The Ramsey bunch
Megan
26
Since graduating from Oxford Brookes University in 2019, Gordon’s eldest has been working as a production designer and art director in TV.
Holly
25
The twin launched podcast 21 & Over in May 2021, aimed at destigmatising anxiety and depression. During one episode, Holly revealed she was diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and depression after being sexually assaulted at university. In September 2024, she announced her engagement to Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Adam Peaty.
Jack
25
In October 2020, Holly’s twin brother enrolled in the Royal Marines, where he’s part of the navy’s amphibious light infantry.
Matilda
23
Tilly shares both a birthday and a love of cooking with her famous father. At 15, she released a cookbook, Tilly’s Kitchen Takeover. From 2015 to 2019, the youngster had her own cooking reality show, Matilda And The Ramsay Bunch, while in 2021, she competed on Strictly Come Dancing. Last year, she joined Gordon as a judge on the UK’s MasterChef Junior and also graduated from uni with a degree in psychology.
Oscar
Six
“After three Baftas and one Emmy, finally we have won an Oscar!” Gardon posted in 2019 to announce the surprise arrival of his son. “Please welcome Oscar James Ramsay, who touched down at 12:58 today for some lunch!”
Jesse James
One
After a “nerve-racking nine months” following a tragic miscarriage, little Jesse James came into the world in November 2023, on Gordon and Tilly’s birthday, making the “Ramsay family complete”, as the celebrity chef posted.
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