Love, hate and Ramsay's lies
Hell's Kitchen: Marco turns up heat on eve of show
HELL'S Kitchen chef Marco Pierre White has stirred up a hotpot of trouble as he branded rival Gordon Ramsay "an irrelevance" and warned the celebs were in for a tough time.
For starters fiery Marco made mincemeat of love- cheat Gordon, carping: "It's interesting watching his legacy unravel."
Then he threw ex-host Angus Deayton into the mix, blasting him for making the last series a misery with a barrage of snide jibes.
But it's the eight celebrities- including comic Adrian Edmondson already tipped to win by Marco-who will face a grilling from the superchef when the new series starts tomorrow.
"Once they are in my kitchen they won't even know they are celebrities," he snarled. "It will show what they're truly made of."
Marco did have a couple of sweet dishes up his sleeve, as he talked about his secret new love, and joked that he would MARRY sexy new host Claudia Winkleman given half a chance.
Respect
But Marco's menu of the day started with foul-mouthed rival Gordon-served up cold and thinly sliced.
"I push my staff to the limit, as I will the celebrities," he said. "But I run my kitchen with respect. I build teamwork. There's only so far you can get by shouting and swearing.
"It's Gordon's style, but I've learnt from my mistakes. He clearly hasn't."
Marco-who was the youngest chef to win three Michelin stars at 33-acted as a mentor to Gordon early in his career before their friendship collapsed.
But the rivalry is clearly still simmering away on the back burner.
He relished speaking about Gordon's exposure in the News of the World as both a love cheat and liar over his affair with Sarah Symonds, and a fraud, boasting about being a budding Rangers star.
Marco said: "Gordon's made some big mistakes, but trying to deny his affair was probably the biggest. He deserved to be exposed. He will be remembered for how he's behaved on TV, and behind his wife's back, not on the great things he's achieved in the kitchen.
"His Michelin stars are now an irrelevance. And that's what he's becoming."
Marco made his cutting comments on the eve of the new ITV1 series in which Adrian, 52, will be joined by Gary Lineker's missus Danielle Bux, 29, Dynasty's Linda Evans, 66, ex-Liverpool goalie Bruce Grobbelaar, 51, TV presenter Anthea Turner, 48, and husband Grant Bovey, 47, Miss Dynamite, 27, and ex-Shameless actor Jody Latham, 27.
This year the celebs will work together, instead of being split into two teams, with Marco sacking the worst each night. Only the final four will be put to the public vote.
And in a new twist, Marco will demote two celebs who don't make the grade on the first night to serve as WAITERS.
Marco, 47, said: "People cry on this show. It's tough. It will be their attitude that determines how long they stay."
Pressure
He warned there won't be any special favours for the celebs, but has already tipped Jennifer Saunders' hubby Adrian as a potential winner.
Marco said: "I like him. He's intelligent, funny and tenacious. He'll be a great player. I know he lives on a farm, and by being in the countryside he's got some interest in food." Anthea also got the thumbs up.
"She's nice. I've met her a couple of times and she's always been polite and very correct. But you can never tell how someone will react under pressure. She'll be interesting to watch."
Marco won't be swayed by dishy lingerie model Danielle though. "I don't care how good looking she is. I only care about how she is in the kitchen."
Click here to watch video of Ade Edmondson and other male Hell's Kitchen stars
As for afters, Marco-who is divorced from third wife Mati Conejero-admitted he has a new love, a Scandinavian heiress, but he's keeping her name a secret. He smiled: "I'm happier than ever. I have a new best friend, a new love in my life."
Leeds-born Marco also has a soft spot for new host Claudia Winkleman, who he says is far funnier than ex-presenter Angus Deayton.
"His humour was forced, and negative," he said. "I would be working hard and he would be making jibes at where I came from and my name.
"Claudia is naturally funny and the energy around her is much nicer."
He teased: "She's beautiful. If I was single, had the time, and she wasn't married, I would love to have her."
Claudia, 37, joked back: "When my husband asked how well I'm being looked after I told him we've only had sex once!"
But despite his charm, Marco insisted he's surprised at being considered a sex symbol. "I don't know what the reason is. It can't be my looks."
Hell's Kitchen starts tomorrow at 9pm on ITV1.
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This article has 11 comments
Thank you for the info! Never seen the brittish version of Hells Kitchen, so no wonder I had no idea. So which chef have had the best reviews in brittain then?
By Karina. Posted April 22 2009 at 4:54 PM.
For the danish lady. Gordon Ramsay did the first series of Hells kitchen in britain and then moved to Hells kitchen in America and there have been a couple of different head chefs on the brittish version Marco Pierre White is the latest and only one to do more than one series.
By Charlotte. Posted April 22 2009 at 2:43 PM.
From one abroad: Isn't Ramsay the boss of Hells Kitchen? Or is he no longer a part of that concept? Totally confused, never heard of a new chef on this show? Someone who can or care to explain for this danish lady?
By Karina. Posted April 21 2009 at 11:18 AM.
Why you would swap Angus Deyton (who was the only reason I watched the show) for the neurotic Claudia Winkleman I'll never know. Angus was just so funny I used to sit there in hysterics at his comments.
Claudia funny? when was that then? She's awful!!
By chris. Posted April 13 2009 at 11:44 AM.
Don't know much about this Marco guy, but I love the food shows, and have learned a lot about spices cooking etc, so keep em going regardless of who is the chef... Ramsey etc
By Eileen Brennand. Posted April 12 2009 at 9:21 PM.
Its time we had real entertainment and stop creating all this crap.People are getting fed up with all this Chef and kitchen shows,they are all the same whinging chefs who are trying to be hardmen.?Nothing new just the same old chewingum for the braindead.
By Ace Riley. Posted April 12 2009 at 2:17 PM.
Cant wait for Hells Kitchen to start love Marco think there is something very tasty about him actually. He taught Gordon Lovecheat Ramsey to cook at the end of the day so Gordons not a patch on Marco.....
By red. Posted April 12 2009 at 1:41 PM.
Marco is the best chef Britain's ever had. Also, unlike foul mouthed Ramsay he can string a sentence together. He's also gorgeous!
By Tracey. Posted April 12 2009 at 8:19 AM.
Sorry Marco, but you sound like a jealous, resentful man with no dignity. Now all I will remember you for is being spiteful, rather than what you are paid to do and that is cook dinners, I won't be watching your show on the basis of this article.
By clueless. Posted April 12 2009 at 6:59 AM.
I can't wait till the day the STUPID FAD of "celebrity chefs" finally ends and all these idiotic shows will be over. Ramsay is the worst. He's pathetic. How can he behave like that and still look himself in the mirror each day??? I would die of embarrassment if I carried on like such a moronic, hot-headed turd at my job. Nasty, vile, embarrassing man. It will be good to see him disappear.
By Eliza. Posted April 12 2009 at 4:53 AM.
i dont know what he's talking about he's just as bad as Ramsay both have egos the size of the milky way
By Ann. Posted April 11 2009 at 11:53 PM.