The truth behind Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay’s 15-year ‘feud’: Celebrity chefs had a playful public rivalry that turned sour after Oliver’s ‘mortifying’ comments over Ramsay family tragedy – and how they rebuilt their friendship
Two of Britain’s biggest celebrity chefs have been embroiled in a ‘feud’ for 15 years – with moments marked by playful banter and hurtful comments alike.
However, this week seems to have signalled a new turn for Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay’s relationship.
Ramsay admitted that his wife Tana uses Jamie Oliver cookbooks to whip up lasagne and shepherd’s pie when she’s having guests over, and also posted a TikTok clip of himself with one of his rival’s recipe books.
It may have created the sneaking suspicion that their public spats were nothing more than a ‘fake feud’ to harmlessly drum up a bit of extra publicity, but in the past their animosity has taken a more serious turn.
In one instance, Gordon refused to speak with Jamie after his rival made a seemingly innocent remark about the amount of children both men had – soon after his wife Tana had suffered a miscarriage.
That same year, the Scottish chef also launched a verbal attack on Jamie, calling him a ‘fat f**k’ among other insults on a talk show.
Two of Britain’s biggest celebrity chefs have been embroiled in a ‘feud’ for 15 years – with moments marked by playful banter and hurtful comments alike. Both pictured in 2006
However, it appears all has thawed in recent years, as this week – in a rare admission of his rival’s culinary skills – Gordon revealed his wife Tana is a fan of Jamie’s and uses his recipe book to cook their food.
Elsewhere, the Kitchen Nightmares star said he ‘loves Jamie’ in a TikTok, calling their fallout ‘old news’.
Here, FEMAIL looks at the history behind the pair’s beef – outside the kitchen…
2009: POT BEGINS TO BOIL
The chefs’ feud began in 2009 when Jamie, 49, criticised Ramsay for comparing Australian journalist Tracey Grimshaw to a pig.
As reported by The Mirror, he told The Sun: ‘Aussies aren’t forgiving. Once you’re gone, you’re gone… It’s never good to criticise a woman, especially when they’re loved by their country and you do it on national television.’
Gordon apologised to Ms Grimshaw but said the Naked Chef was a ‘one pot wonder’.
He said: ‘Everything kind of gets mixed in – hands in. It’s a very different style to me. He sticks it in the oven, comes back three hours later and it’s done.
‘We cook differently. I use basic ingredients taken up with a lot more excitement.
‘But competition is healthy. It’s good to have that kind of rivalry.’
He was also asked when he had last complained about a meal and answered: ‘Last time I had dinner at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant.’
Elsewhere, the Kitchen Nightmares star said he ‘loves Jamie’ in a TikTok , calling their fallout ‘old news’
Gordon married Tana, 49, in 1996 and the pair share six children together. A family snap from 2018
Jamie has five children with his wife of 25 years Jools, 49. The young family pictured together in 2016
In 2010, while on a promotional tour of Canada, Gordon also said Jamie was ‘just a cook’ while he proclaimed himself to be ‘a chef’.
In return, Jamie mocked his rival for ‘having botox’, adding: ‘If I was to choose between Gordon Ramsay’s cookbook or Tana Ramsay’s, it would be Tana’s every time.
‘In my opinion, her books are a damn sight better than his.’
Gordon married Tana, 49, in 1996 and the pair share six children together, while Jamie has five children with his wife of 25 years Jools, 49.
2014: RIVALRY HEATS UP
In 2014, both Gordon and Jamie had restaurants opening in Hong Kong within the same year.
However, while Jamie wasn’t in attendance at his Italian eatery, Gordo showed face at Bread Street Kitchen.
‘Two British chefs, Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay, rubbing shoulders together in Hong Kong. At least I’m here, I came to my opening, right?’ he quipped in a CNBC interview.
‘If you’re going to open a restaurant in Hong Kong at least turn up.’
In 2014, both Gordon and Jamie had restaurants opening in Hong Kong within the same year. Gordon pictured in 2013
However, Jamie had earlier claimed in the South China Post that he didn’t show up because he didn’t want to divert attention from the local team and the food.
And the following year, it was his turn to strike.
In an interview with the Mirror, Jamie slammed Gordon as being ‘deeply jealous’.
‘Gordon will do anything to try and take the p**s out of me because he is deeply jealous and can’t quite work out why I do what I do and why he can’t do that,’ he claimed.
‘He is too busy shouting and screaming and making our industry look like a bunch of shouters and screamers.
‘Book sales are about having a deep trusted relationship with the public. I really write my books. I don’t just turn up for the front cover. I write every word, every letter and I oversee every bit of design.
‘You can sell a few books by luck or a moment… but not 15 years and 37million books. That’s not luck.’
2017: ‘MORTIFYING’ COMMENTS AND BURNING JABS
Years later, in a stint with his own talk show (which ultimately didn’t make it past one season), Gordon unleashed a verbal attack on Jamie, The Sun has reported.
He called his rival a ‘fat f**k’, claimed Jamie was trying to sort the UK’s obesity problem by hogging all the food himself and quipped that the loser during a game gets ‘a table at Jamie’s Italian’.
According to the Irish Independent, he had during a show episode also decided to address the situation in a mock apology.
‘Dear Jamie, I just want to say that I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I have been hard on you this week, Jamie.
‘What I said was hurtful, Jamie. I don’t want to make you cry. The last thing I want to do is look at your cute face and think blubber, blubber, blubber.’
The duo became embroiled in an extraordinary row over comments made by Jamie (pictured in 2020) months after Gordon’s wife’s miscarriage
As Britain’s top chefs, Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver had been locked in a feud. But in a rare admission of his rival’s culinary skills, Ramsay revealed his wife Tana is a fan of Oliver
However, the playful character of the feud took a turn when later that year, Gordon vowed never to speak to Jamie following a bitter exchange of words over the size of their respective families.
The duo became embroiled in an extraordinary row over comments made by Jamie months after Gordon’s wife’s miscarriage.
Gordon accused Jamie of ‘judging’ him for having four children at the time (he now has six), compared with the Naked Chef star’s five, and insisted he must apologise to Tana before they can make peace.
When Jamie was asked about Gordon’s Nightly Show remarks by The Sun in August, he said: ‘I was doing TV years before him, so maybe five years ago it would have bothered me and I may have responded.
‘But he’s got four kids and I’ve got five kids, and I don’t want to be slagging off some kids’ dad on telly. It’s not nice.’
Gordon, whose wife Tana suffered a miscarriage at five months in June the year prior, said he interpreted the comments as a dig after what was ‘a s*** year’.
He told Radio Times that their long-term ‘feud’ was ‘fun’ until Jamie made the comment.
He said: ‘Jamie turned round and said, ‘I’ve got five kids, he’s got four kids.’ To judge someone else’s family on the amount of kids you have.’
Gordon then said said he would not talk to Jamie again until he apologises to Tana.
He said: ‘Boys will always fight and butt heads but Tana was mortified, I mean really mortified.’
Representatives for Jamie and Gordon declined to comment when approached by MailOnline at the time.
2019: COOLING DOWN
When Jamie’s restaurant chain collapsed in 2019, Gordon revealed he called his fellow TV chef ‘right away’ and said: ‘Bottom line is, he’s a great guy and a great chef and it was sad to see him disappear overnight but we had a drink and it was a tough time.’
As reported by The Mirror, he told the Jonathan Ross Show: ‘That was devastating, I don’t think anyone likes to revel in that kind of failure.
‘Yes [we are friends] absolutely. No one wants to see anyone fail like that because at the heart of it, he is a super talented guy so it’s a great shame.’
The chef added the families even barbecued together while on holiday together in Cornwall in 2018.
It would seem that all has been relative smooth sailing since, with Gordon even telling his followers that he ‘loves’ Jamie in a TikTok this month.
The chef added the families even barbecued together while on holiday together in Cornwall in 2018. Pictured in 2005 when they were young
Elsewhere recently, the Michelin-winning chef addressed his partner’s habit of making Oliver’s meals on the Dish podcast, hosted by fellow cook Angela Harnett, who is also a close friend of his wife.
Angela, 55, said: ‘If you see Tana when I’ve been round for supper, she’s so relaxed. But why should she switch?
‘She’s got five kids and she’s got him (Gordon) hanging around trying to interfere and she’s just out and she just cooks something everyone wants to eat, like a great lasagne or a brilliant shepherd’s pie. She’s amazing.’
Gordon then cuts in: ‘Yeah and they’re all Jamie Oliver recipes. Do you have any idea how hard that is for me?’
