TV chef Gordon Ramsay has been criticised for his behaviour on the set of Hell's Kitchen by Coronation Street legend Amanda Barrie.
Amanda, 89, appeared on the series in 2004 but dramatically walked out after attempting to hit Ramsay in the face during a heated kitchen clash.
In her memoir I’m Still Here: My 90 Years, she branded Ramsay a bully and claimed his “vicious” behaviour left some contestants needing tranquilisers to cope, The Sun reports.
Amanda wrote: "We all knew the show was a vehicle for Gordon but not that he was going to take every opportunity to insult and humiliate us."
She says that her fellow contestant, ex-Tory MP Edwina Currie, received some of the worst treatment on set, with claims Ramsay called her "diseased", "poisonous" and a "pathetic b***h". He allegedly told her: "One minute you’re shagging the Prime Minister and now you are trying to shag me from behind."
Ramsay also has traits in common with US President Donald Trump, according to Amanda, who wrote that they were "both bullies".
Amanda said she left the show my mutual consent following her altercation with Ramsay. At the time, she mocked him for calling security, saying: "I have never seen a face that was asking more to be slapped."
Recalling the event years later, she said: “I’ll never live that down.
“If it had been a bit harder it would have been better. I’ve never hit anyone unless it was well deserved.”
Amanda starred as Alma Baldwin on Coronation Street for 20 years until the character's departure. She had a lofty career in classical theatre before that, and starred as Cleopatra in the 1964 film Carry On Cleo.
Plans are reportedly afoot for Hell’s Kitchen to make its return to the UK after ITV bosses entered talks with Ramsay’s team about reviving the series. He only hosted one UK season, but it remains memorable for his trademark put-downs and clashes with celebrity contestants.
Ramsay launched the US version in 2005, where it became a ratings smash and cemented his global reputation. In 2018 he opened the first Hell’s Kitchen restaurant in Las Vegas, serving dishes such as beef wellington and sticky toffee pudding.
There are now seven Hell’s Kitchen restaurants across the US, including locations in Las Vegas, Miami, California and Washington DC.
