Gordon Ramsay, 59, may be equally known for his successful culinary empire and his potty-mouthed tirades, but behind the scenes, the celebrity chef is a humble family man, sharing six children with wife Tana. In his new Netflix documentary, Being Gordon Ramsay, cameras follow him to launch his latest venture, restaurants at 22 Bishopsgate, but candid interviews also delve deep into his family relationships, including his troubled heroin addict brother.
Gordon on his drug addict brother
In Episode two of the documentary, Gordon was visibly emotional as he shared: "I have a brother who's a heroin addict, we shared a bunk bed, he's 15 months younger than me, and he's been an addict for the last four decades. I've gone to hell and back with him and so I have a guilt complex. That could have been me, it could have been switched." Speaking about his family, he said: "I've been dealt the dysfunctional card."
© Alamy Stock PhotoSpeaking on the High Performance podcast, Gordon admitted that his brother's troubles are a "fresh reminder" to work hard every day to get out of the deprivation he witnessed growing up on a council estate alongside his brother Ronnie and two sisters, Yvonne and Diana.
© Courtesy of NetflixAlthough Gordon doesn't mention his brother's name in the interview, it is known to be Ronnie. In 2007, the BBC reported that Ronnie was arrested in Bali for possession of a small amount of a Class A drug. He was fined and jailed for 10 months.
Speaking to the MailOnline, Gordon has spoken out about his repeated efforts to help his brother. "So many times we tried to fix him, then you actually begin to understand the enormity of the issue and that it's never going to change until it comes from him. He’s not moved on at all."
In episode one of the show, he opened up about his alcoholic father and candidly said: "I had a torrid relationship with my father".
© Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty IGordon's council estate upbringing
Gordon has previously revealed that he moved around to 15 different homes during his childhood in Stratford-upon-Avon. "I still remember my school uniform, having holes in my second-hand trousers," he recalled in the documentary. At school, he was entitled to free school meals and had to suffer the embarrassment of getting tokens at the start of the week. The star has come a long way since and has now invested a staggering £20 million into his latest 22 Bishopsgate project.
© InstagramGordon's strict parenting approach
The chef has had to work incredibly hard for the privileged lifestyle he leads today, and he wants his six children to do the same. To ensure he doesn't spoil them, there are no big handouts or business class flying for the kids. The Hell's Kitchen star also runs an allowance system at home, which encourages saving. He said: "Every time they got their allowance every month - a couple of hundred dollars - if they saved that up across the 12-month period, I would match that at Christmas for them. And they’ve got to stay true to their form by saving every dollar.
© Photo: Instagram"So when you start that practice at 10, 11, 12, 13… they’ve got their part-time jobs… all of a sudden their minds are focused on their career paths. They are super-disciplined, and they are on it, man."
