Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay may be serving up a softer image in his new Netflix docuseries, but not everyone is buying it.
The six-part series Being Gordon Ramsay follows the famously fiery chef as he opens up about family life, marriage, and the pressure of building a global restaurant empire. Viewers see a more vulnerable side of the Hell’s Kitchen star — a devoted husband to Tana Ramsay and father of six juggling work and home life.
But one person says the portrayal couldn’t be further from the truth.
Sarah Symonds, who has previously claimed she had a years-long affair with Ramsay, is blasting the documentary as “fake” and “misleading.” In comments to the Daily Mail, she said the series presents what she described as a carefully polished version of the chef.
“The title Being Gordon Ramsay is totally fake — just like him,” she reportedly said. “It was a glossed-over, rehabilitated version of a bully, cheat, liar and serial philanderer.”
Ramsay has long denied having an affair and has publicly dismissed Symonds’ claims in the past.
In the Netflix series, Ramsay, 59, praises his wife Tana, calling her the “foundation” of his success during their nearly 30-year marriage. He reflects on missing time with his children while building his career and admits that being away from home has been difficult.
At one emotional moment in the documentary, Ramsay talks about how painful it is when his youngest son asks when he’ll be back home. He describes missing his family while traveling for work and says that seeing photos and memories on his phone can be tough.
Symonds, however, says the image of a loving, devoted family man doesn’t match her experience. She alleges that during the time she knew Ramsay, he behaved like a single man, frequently socializing late at night and prioritizing his rising fame.
She claims their alleged relationship spanned several years and involved meetings in cities including London, Los Angeles, and Dubai. She has also suggested that Ramsay confided in her about being unhappy in his marriage — claims he has denied.
Symonds now says she is considering legal action, alleging that the fallout from the situation and Ramsay’s public denials have taken a serious toll on her mental health.
Meanwhile, Being Gordon Ramsay focuses heavily on the chef’s current family life, including preparations surrounding his daughter Holly’s wedding to Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty and the launch of an ambitious new restaurant venture in London.
The series aims to show a side of Ramsay that fans rarely see — not the explosive TV personality, but the father trying to balance business and home.