I blame the programme makers really. Who really thought that Mr Ramsay was a good candidate for the BBC’s ’Friends for Dinner’. It’s the cosy programme where a member of the public gets to call upon the help of a chef to help them prepare a menu for their guests and then gets to call the chef up whenever they get into trouble.

That nice Garry Rhodes ... ideal, that chirpy chappy, Jamie Oliver... even better. That he-man of the hotplate well known for way he abuses other people in his kitchen ... you cannot be serious.

Apparently nice Mr Ramsay nearly quit the programme halfway through when the novice cook he was partnering in the programme had the temerity to phone him up for advice during a lunchtime rush at Gordon’s restaurant. Ramsay got so angry he picked up the phone and threw it across the room, hitting a wall.

Gordon then gets even more narked when his partner questions the menu that he has come up with. Irritated by the impertinence of a minor he flicks a handful of topping over his team mate, who obviously a bit hot and bothered themselves after having to deal with the stroppy diva chef, promptly picks up a 2lb bag of sugar and lobs it back at Gordon’s head.

Ramsay in the soup - 17/07/01
Controversial restaurateur and chef Gordon Ramsay may be sued by four bankers who spent a whopping ?44,007 at his Petrus restaurant in Mayfair. They are claiming that he leaked their names to the press and that this is a breach of their privacy.

Mahish Chandra (?12,000 on the tab), Iftikhar Hyder (?11,500), Dayananda Kumar (?9,000) and Ruth Cove (?8,500) all work for Barclays Capital and are said to be shocked that details of their lavish meal have appeared in the press. The group, which contained two other members who paid ?3,000 between them, were celebrating a lucrative deal on the bonds market.

The dining party got through the money by buying exclusive vintage wines. Some ?33,300 went on three bottles of Petrus Pomerol, ?9,200 on a dessert wine and ?1,400 on a bottle of 1982 Montrachet. The restaurant reportedly threw in the food for free.

Ramsay categorically denies revealing the names of the loaded diners and Barclays Bank said the meal was a private affair paid for by the individuals concerned.

Gordon to show his true colours at Claridges - 04/04/01
One of Britain’s most notorious chefs is due to show his true colours at Claridges. Local restaurateur Gordon Ramsay, who has developed quite an infamous persona from his kitchen and TV performances, has joined forces with Claridges in order to instil a bit of cool into this once staid hotel.

Ramsay, who is currently basking in the glory of being London’s only three-star Michelin chef, is believed to be just the ticket for the Brook Street institution. As Claridges rises in the cool stakes amongst the fashion and magazine types, Ramsey is expected to raise the profile of the new venture, expected to be called (quite originally) Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s (hmmm.)

The fiery chef-proprietor of the eponymous restaurant in Chelsea will be running the operation at Claridge’s when it opens in September and diners can expect original Ramsay food, modern European style cooking, with all his signature dishes.