Chef Gordon Ramsay is in hot water again thanks to his foul mouth.
On Saturday, the "Hell's Kitchen" host compared an Australian TV newscaster to a pig and allegedly insinuated she was a lesbian, according to reports. Ramsay made the comments during a cooking demonstration at the Melbourne Good Food and Wine Show, one day after an interview with the journalist, Tracy Grimshaw.
The Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun reported that Ramsay showed the crowd of 3,000 a photograph of a naked woman with "the features of a pig" and compared her to Grimshaw.
YouTube video of the incident shows Ramsay telling the crowd: "Look who I sat next to on the plane at Qantas," as the image of the naked pig woman and a photo of Miss Piggy are shown. "There she is, oh Jesus, I'm not going to tell you her name but it begins with T." He then says, "It's a joke."
But the ensuing firestorm prompted Grimshaw to defend herself Monday. "He says it was a joke. Well not to me or to anyone who cares about me," she said in a televised response. "Truly I wonder how many people would laugh if they were effectively described as 'an old ugly pig.' How is that funny exactly? And worse, it's not even witty."
See her response after the jump.
Ramsay was in Australia for the food festival, held in Melbourne and Sydney. His comments came before he was to demonstrate how to make smoked Tasmanian salmon and a minestrone with cod.
During his TV interview with Grimshaw -- which started with him asking her "What turns you on?" and ended with an insult to a mole on her face -- Ramsay admitted to being "fodder" for the media. "You get caught in the realms of this sort of celebrity sort of dogfight, so you just take the blows."
Gordon Ramsay
Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay shakes hands with Nelson Mandela during a lunch to Benefit the Mandela Children's Foundation as part of the celebrations of the opening of the new One&Only Cape Town resort on April 3, 2009, in Cape Town, South Africa. Ramsay will be launching his first restaurant in Africa at the resort, Maze and Robert De Niro will be opening Nobu. The 130-room property is One&Only's first urban resort and sits in the fashionable Waterfront district.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Chef Gordon Ramsey and his wife Tana Ramsey arrive at the GQ Men of the Year Awards at the Royal Opera House on Sept. 2, 2008 in London.
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Chef Gordon Ramsay and family attends the premiere of the 'High School Musical 3: Senior Year' at Empire Leicester Square on Oct. 7, 2008 in London.
Ferdaus Shamim/Getty Images
A picture taken on March 20, 2008 shows British TV chef Gordon Ramsay, chef at Gordon Ramsay au Trianon, his restaurant outside Paris in Versailles, which was awarded with two stars on March 2, 2009 by French Michelin restaurant guide in its 100th edition. The 41-year-old chef already heads 10 restaurants and pubs in United Kingdom and another 10 in the United States.
Stephane De Sakutin, AFP/Getty Images
Gordon Ramsay promotes his new book 'Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite' at Borders Columbus Circle on Feb. 10, 2009, in New York City.
Mike Coppola/FilmMagic
Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay prepares the food for the opening party in his Maze restaurant at the new One&Only Cape Town resort on April 2, 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Gordon Ramsay holds Christmas Theatre at 'Taste of Christmas' at ExCeL on Dec. 4, 2008 in London.
Danny Martindale/WireImage
Chef Gordon Ramsay and his wife, Tana Ramsay, arrive at the Grand Opening of the new One&Only Cape Town resort on April 2, 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Grimshaw said she had to respond to Ramsay's food fest comments because "I'm not going to sit meekly and let some arrogant narcissist bully me."
"Gordon Ramsay made me promise not to ask on Friday about his private life. He then got on stage on Saturday and made some very clear and uninformed insinuations about mine," Grimshaw said. "Obviously, Gordon thinks that any woman who doesn't find him attractive must be gay; for the record, I don't and I'm not. But I'm not surprised by any of this ... we're all just fodder to him."
[Via Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun]
6-08-2009 @2:04PM Holly said... i still love you Gordon!!
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6-08-2009 @2:16PM ccwstauffer said... Once a pig, always a pig, this idiot is far from entertaining or professional
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6-08-2009 @2:19PM Rothna said... I have seen Ramsey's show on TV. I don't quite understand what makes him a food celebrity? Apart from that now he's revealing his hatred for women.
Maybe his mother should be investigated - I mean psychologically- so that his demeanor on women would be exposed
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6-08-2009 @2:20PM Jim said... Holly, evidently you're the only one.
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6-08-2009 @2:22PM charleyhh said... Gordon is GREAT! Everyone needs to get a sense of humor!
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6-08-2009 @2:29PM Mike K. said... If this yahoo made comments like that, asked questions like he did, screamed and yelled like he does, and showed a picture like he did, in a "regular" work environment, the employee would sue and retire on the huge settlement.
Sure, it makes entertaining TV, but the reality of it is he is an over-rated buffoon. While it would be somewhat boring to see a supposed master chef coach others to better cooking, he is an absolutely ridiculous individual.
While he probably thinks they should feel so fortunate to be around him, he's fortunate someone hasn't retaliated in some way. If someone treated me the way he treated the victim, I would make sure he would be addressing the judge in the courtroom. Not the answer to everything, but this supposed chef woudn't care if you yelled back.
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6-08-2009 @2:27PM soulcage said... Ramsay is so full of himself, it surprises me that there is any restaurant that can hold his ego.
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6-08-2009 @2:43PM kay said... I have never watched this idiot's show and will not. In previews I see him screaming like a mad man and demeaning people. That is not my idea of entertainment!! He doesn't deserve to be on TV hosting anything.
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6-08-2009 @2:32PM Jean said... You guys are a bunch of idiots. Do you not know as to why he speak the way he does???? That is HIS SHOW, what made him famous, like the other cook, when he yells and screams at times, adding much more hot spices, or booze, the audiance sreaming, "More, More". You know who I mean. These guys make a lot of money, being identified as how they speak and act on stage. You guys know nothing! Think!!! perhaps it'll help your little pea for a brain! He earnsa 1/4 of a million per hour! How much do you idiots make?
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6-08-2009 @2:33PM margie said... I AGREE WITH SOME OF THE OTHER COMMENTS. HE REALLY HAS A DISRESPECT FOR WOMEN. SOMEWHERE IN HIS PAST HE WAS BRUTALY ABUSED. NOBODY ACTS LIKE THAT IF THEY ARE A WELL ADJUSTED PERSON. ON HIS SHOW HE CALLS WOMEN "COWS". UNFORTUNATELY NAME CALLING IS ALL HE HAS GOING FOR HIM BECAUSE HIS COOKING TALENT HAS NOW BEEN OVERSHADOWED BY HIS FOUL MOUTH. SADLY HE SEEMS PROUD IT. WHEN YOU WORK AS HARD AS HE HAS TO GET TO THIS SPOT IN HIS LIFE AND THINKS HE IS ABOVE EVERYONE ELSE THAT HE CAN VERBULLY ABUSE ANYONE THAT PISSES HIM OFF HE IS GOING TO CRASH AND BURN AT SOME POINT.
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6-08-2009 @2:34PM paujla said... I agree with Holly, I like him too!
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6-08-2009 @5:19PM Paulie said... Why are "celebrity chefs" such prima donnas? You are cooking, for crying out loud, not singing at the Met. If you want to watch these shows to learn a little technique it is impossible thanks to all the acting out. Bring back sweet old Julia Childs. Save the prima donna for the opera.
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6-08-2009 @2:50PM Ben said... Gordon Ramsay is funny and very entertaining and your wrong Ccwstauffer you don't know what your talking about.
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6-08-2009 @2:39PM Pierpoint Windsor said... Poor schmuck! The lady is obviously attractive and intellligent and quite obviously far from the sort one would compare to an H-O-G-G PIG! She was absolutely within her right to go on air and rebut his not one time but several attacks. It seems clear the guy is unable to handle all the presssures he faces with his new and latest ventures-keeping that many dinning spots running is exhausting work. As to his marital pobs-frankly that concerns only himself and current wife. No the LADY is cleary not a dyke, not that being gay is an issue, especially these enlightened daZe. He on the other hand owes her an appology-and IF he wants to promo his latest gigs-he needs to make the effort while given the opportunity to ensure that marketing is done.
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6-08-2009 @2:35PM John said... Rothna, what are you? A lesbian pig? It's a joke....
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6-08-2009 @2:38PM paujla said... i think he is great too!
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6-08-2009 @3:15PM Liz said... I understand her being hurt by that comment, but seriously, I don't think he did it to be nasty. He's a funny guy, and I still think he is awesome!
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6-08-2009 @2:47PM Vickie said... I have been cooking for 26 years now and learned everything about cooking from my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Had any of them yelled at me or demeaned me in an effort to boost their ego's, I wouldn't know how to boil water, much less create great Cajun meals. Down here in the South, their is nothing Hellish about the kitchen. Quiet the opposite, it is a place where families and friends gather to share good food and good fun. Everyone pitches in and invariably someone adds too much salt, spills, or makes forgets the rolls in the oven. Maybe it's time for a Heaven's Kitchen, where folks are encouraged to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. That's what makes a real chef, not how many times you can say F*** on national television and emotionally crush someone with your words and insults.
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6-08-2009 @2:45PM etiquetteguy said... There is never any appropriate time for rudeness unless you have the intention of hurting some one or showing off your poor communciation skills. I do like Gordon Ramsey on balance, but his harshness could be curbed with no loss to his viewing audience.
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6-08-2009 @6:39PM Lauren said... I love Ramsay, and I wish there were more guys like him that had the balls to be politically incorrect :) Where have all the real men gone?? Oh! they turned into pu**ies. lol
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