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ACA’s Tracy Grimshaw: Ramsay is an arrogant narcissist and a bully – and I’m not gay

Gordon Ramsay’s growing Australian PR disaster got worse on Monday evening with A Current Affair’s Tracy Grimshaw shredding his claims that his attack on her looks and sexuality was banter between mates.  

The situation began when the celebrity chef – in Australia for cooking shows in Sydney and Melbourne – appeared on ACA for a pre-recorded interview. After the encounter ended, he teased her about a small mole on her face as he was having his microphone removed.

 When the programme was broadcast on Friday night, the exchange was included. Ramsay appeared to take this as a cue to  build a vendetta between the two of them. According to Melbourne’s Herald Sun he suggested to the audience that Grimshaw was a fat, lesbian pig. But he later told the newspaper that he had known Grimshaw for a long time, adding:

“I find it hard to believe that anyone was offended when it was a throwaway line that was not there to cause any upset. Christ, this is a resilient, tenacious country full of excitement and buoyancy. I never thought of anyone in Australia having to be wrapped up in cotton wool. I’d be horrified if I’d offended anyone.”

But in tonight’s episode of ACA Grimshaw read a statement out to the viwers. She told the Nine audience:

“This is not a business for wimps and I am not one. I think I’ve got a reasonable sense of humour too.

“On Friday when Gordon Ramsay made fun of a little mole on my face in a taped interview I laughed along and was happy to see it go to air. But that was nothing compared to the attack he unleashed on me the next day in front of 3000 people who’d come simply to see him cook.

“I have no idea what promopted his outburst which continued yesterday and again today. We’ve not spoken and I’ve not responded until now.

“Gordon Ramsay has always had fair and generous treatment on this programme but despite what jhis publicist said in damage control we do not have a great relationship. We have no relationship at all. I’ve played along with him in interviews because it’s entertaining and that’s my job. I walk away afterwards and I don’t think about him again.

“Last week his publicists stipulated obsessively that his interviews on this trip not include questions about his marriage and private life – we all know why. I respected that request. But it appears with Ramsay that respect is a one way street. On Saturday he launched a series of unprovoked public attacks against me. I’m not going to pretend that his comments didn’t hurt. I was absolutely miserable when I found out late Saturday afternoon.

“He says it was a joke. Well, not to me or to anyone who cares about me. Truly I wonder how many people would laugh if they were effectively described as an old, ugly pig. How is that funny exactly? And worse, it’s not even witty.

“I spent all yesterday thinking about how to respond and I honestly thought about saying nothing at all. But we all know bullies thrive when noone takes them on and I’m not going to sit meekly and let some arrogant narcissist bully me.

“And just finally, Gordon Ramsay made me promise on Friday not to ask about his private life. He then got on stage on Saturday and made some very clear and uninformed insinuations about mine. Obviously Gordon thinks that any woman who doesn’t find him attractive must be gay. For the record, I don’t and I’m not.

But I’m not surprised by any of this. We’ve all seen how Gordon Ramsay treats his wife, and he supposedly loves her. We’re all just fodder to him.”

Ramsay’s visit to Australia has been dominated with feisty media encounters. He was combative in his interview with Rove McManus on Sunday night, immediately accusing him of being a “shortarse” and moving the conversation onto penis size.

During that interview, the chef insisted that he was entitled to a private life. Despite various public comments from the chef about his commitment to his wife, rumours to the contrary emerged late last year. (Update: Apologies – this video, from Rove’s YouTube channel has been taken down and the entire channel suspended – so it’s not currently available)

Meanwhile, comedian Wil Anderson had his own take on events, taking to Twitter to opine:

“News: ACA host Tracy Grimshaw to address comments made about her by Gordon Ramsey. She can’t believe he called her a “journalist” either…”

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