Gordon Ramsay is known for hosting countless cooking shows, such as Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, Masterchef, and Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service, where he shows some tough love to contestants in the hopes of helping them excel in their profession.
Others may associate him with his offscreen achievements, including the 17 Michelin stars awarded to his restaurants throughout the years.
Highlights
- Gordon Ramsay has shared a life lesson he instills in the six children he shares with former school teacher Tana Ramsay.
- Ramsay spoke about his children during an appearance at the Fox Upfront event on May 11.
- He revealed that the most important thing he has taught them has nothing to do with culinary arts.
But the celebrity chef considers his six children, whom he shares with his wife, Tana Ramsay, to be his greatest accomplishments.
In an interview on the Fox Upfront 2026 red carpet, Ramsay revealed that the most important quality he wishes to pass on to his children has nothing to do with culinary excellence.
What the British chef cares most about is seeing his six children show respect.
"The one thing I’ve taught them all, brilliantly, are manners," the 59-year-old told Fox News Digital. "The most important thing in life, but they cost zero."
Ramsay and Tana, a former Montessori school teacher, are parents to Megan, 28; twins Jack and Holly, 26, Matilda, who goes by "Tilly," 24; Oscar, 7; and Jesse, 2.
The couple tied the knot in 1996. They first crossed paths when Tana was 18 and dating one of Ramsay’s friends. At the time, Ramsay also had a girlfriend.
Tana and the celebrity chef eventually began chatting when they were both single.
Like many viewers who watch him on TV, the former teacher was initially unsure about Ramsay’s fierce personality.
“I said, ‘Oh my God, he’s so arrogant,’ because it’s always his voice you heard. He was always the one riling everyone up,” Tana recalled in an interview with People.
“In that respect, he has not changed at all. But at the same time, he is, believe it or not, incredibly sensitive—he’s a crier.”
Out of all his children, only one, Matilda, is connected to the culinary world. A chef and TV presenter, she has appeared in shows like Masterchef Junior, This Morning, and Gordon Ramsay's Home Cooking.
She has also presented the CBBC children’s cooking show Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch, which followed her family during their summer holidays.
Additionally, the 24-year-old competed on Celebrity MasterChef Australia, where she reached the final. Last year, she hosted Prime Video's cooking series Dish It Out.
“Food, restaurants, this industry, you really need to want it, and Tilly was banging the door down,” Ramsay told People about Matilda’s decision to follow in his footsteps.
The father of six said he was proud of his daughter for attending culinary school in Ireland instead of asking him to train her.
“I have to give her credit for that,” he said. “And finally, one out of six wants to be a chef, which has made my entire f***ing year.”
Matilda, who also holds a degree in psychology, said she is significantly less “fussy” than her father when it comes to cooking.
"[My cooking is] a lot easier than [my dad's] because my recipes ... if you don't have one of the ingredients, it's not a big deal," Tilly said in This Morning in 2017. "But with Dad's, if you don't have one of the ingredients, it doesn't work as well.”
Megan, the eldest child, was the first member of her family to earn a college degree and now works as a police officer.
Holly is a fashion designer and hosts 21 & Over, a podcast dedicated to destigmatizing mental issues.
Meanwhile, his twin brother Jack joined the United Kingdom's Royal Marines.
During the Fox Upfront event on May 11, the celebrity chef made an unfiltered comparison to fatherhood when he was asked which of his shows he enjoyed the most.
“I have six shows on air right now. That's like saying, I have six kids as well, what's my favorite kid? It depends — it's the one that least p*sses me off at the moment,” he said.
Ramsay was later asked which amateur cooking mistake continues to get on his nerves after more than two decades on TV.
"The one mistake I see over and over that drives me insane, they think seasoning food should be done at the end," he said.
He recommended, "Don’t wait until it’s cooked before you start seasoning. Food needs to be cooked with seasoning, not ignored for 90% of the journey."
The Michelin-starred chef was recently embroiled in a scandal after a customer at his pizza restaurant in Battersea, London, complained about a dog allegedly relieving itself inside the establishment.
