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Last weekend Gordon Ramsay was disporting himself all over the papers. In one supplement, he was photographed opposite poached winter fruits with his wife and his four beaming children aged 10 and under, cutely sucking up their spaghetti for the cameras. The Ramsays were doing one of those photo-shoots where everyone has to pretend to celebrate Christmas in November so they can plug whatever it is they're plugging. (They tried to place the story in ES Magazine; we resisted on the grounds that one pre-Christmas at home with the Ramsays blends into another.)
In another interview, he tells why he's such a great dad (tough but fair, that sort of thing) and how he owes everything, financially, to his father in law, who is now his CEO. Then he tells us that he told his wife she needed Botox, as a joke, but wouldn't really want her to have cosmetic surgery because "I want a proper woman. I want to know that, when things get hot and steamy, she isn't going to melt all over the bed."
By Sunday, however, with seasonal suitability, the Ramsay show had turned into something more panto than Norman Rockwell. A comedy blonde mistress-type called Sarah Symonds popped up with lots of leopard-print, clutching a bottle of "legal sex enhancer" amyl nitrate.
As ever, it was the details of this union that really provided its flavour. Symonds was reportedly armed for her assignation with "two bottles of white wine and some crisps"; she met the swearing one at Chinawhite seven years ago; their date lasted for only "75 minutes". To plug her book Having An Affair? A Handbook For The Other Woman she appeared on Oprah, despite her oeuvre comprising such exciting ideas as "don't open the door wearing sweatpants".
Somewhere in this sorry saga is a victim, but who? Surely it's Tana Ramsay, long-suffering supplement heroine, with her father and husband enslaved to Mammon? But could it also be Symonds, the popper provider who got the train up from Newport to meet her love, and, we're asked to believe, didn't get so much as a free canapé? Or even Ramsay himself, slaving away in so many kitchens and not even allowed a little nibble elsewhere?
Something tells me the Ramsay marriage will survive the Symonds scandal. Perhaps we're the winners - we might be spared those shameless Ramsays-at-home shoots for a little while.
Catherine Ostler is editor of ES Magazine.
Reader views (9)
I get his "Hell's Kitchen" show out here in California, really enjoy it. He has voice and temper like my Scottish dad--makes me laugh--and is absolutely right that food needs to be healthy, light, and please ditch the mystery sauce. He’s on an ethical mission, sounds familiar, that brings trouble. Pity the poor basic trainees though.
- Bruce, Modesto USA, 03/12/2008 03:28
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ah pete, you hit the nail on the head,
Two theories - underneath all the faux confidence of the rich and famous and indeed gobby like Mr Ramsay lies the insecure "everyman" afraid that one day someone is going to realise he/she is a fake -so to make sure the fall has a cushion they all have some sort of foible just ready to fall out of the cupboard - "see I'm human too"
or more likely - powerful people like sex, and people like having sex with powerful people - silly sod just "allegedly" chose someone who wasn't very discreet.
Hope to god we don't get front pages of the mistress from now on - watch out for her on next years "I'm a celebrity" I guess.
And the wife - well - think about it - been there throughout the rise of his career, 4 kids, dad runs the company - Mr Ramsay will have little choice apart from being contrite or otherwise it would be "good bye" big big chunk of cash.
And finally - you know what marriages survive affairs - its an unpalatable truth for many women - but blokes its in their genes/trousers
- Jc, se1, 26/11/2008 08:16
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I like Catherine Ostler's take on this story. She does an excellent job editing ES Magazine and I wish she would publish my story. I am owed a long overdue right of reply in the British press.
- Elaine Decoulos, London and Massachusetts, 25/11/2008 18:02
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It's enough to make a half-grown up man swear!
- Paul Freeman, London, England, 25/11/2008 17:04
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Is this what Jaqui Smith means when she talks about paying for prostition when the provider is pressured into service?
- David, London, 25/11/2008 13:13
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well said james !!! well said.
- Ticket Man, Kilburn ,London, 25/11/2008 13:04
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Brilliant article. I'm sick of this man.
And to think he had the cheek to knock Delia for her book called 'How to Cheat'.
- Christina, Bedford, 25/11/2008 11:52
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It never fails to amaze me how the rich and famous can cock things up for themselves. It's like the two go hand in hand; if you're rich, famous and successful inevitably you are going to be caught screwing around or taking drugs or both.
Isn't it enough to be successfully famous, wealthy and to have a lovely family ?
- Pete, London, 25/11/2008 11:13
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well said! I think we've all had enough of Ramsay's tireless self promotion machine, banging on about how successful he is. I'm not one for false humility, but the endless sound bites about how successful he is in every way (rich, famous, great lover, great husband, great father and family man, great media personality...) How about a little less gab, and a little more succeed in silence? Until this lovely Welsh femme fatale appeared, it was daily "I'm so busy juggling my multi million pound fortune, driving my Ferrari between all my Michelin starred restaurants, cranking out 2 hour marathons and then making endless love to my beautiful, much younger than me (coz I deserve it) wife from a rich family". Good on him for the hard earned success, but please, with a monster recession coming, just zip it for a change.
- Jameswinter, london uk, 25/11/2008 10:54
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