The Celebrity Chef Who Made Gordon Ramsay Cry

Gordon Ramsay's reputation for being ruthless in the kitchen is no secret. On shows like "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares," fans have seen him swear, shout, criticize, and break down even the toughest-looking cooks when they are not performing to Ramsay's standards. Thankfully, he tones it down on "MasterChef Junior" when he's mentoring kids. His mood swings are undeniably exaggerated for the sake of entertainment, but there's certainly some authenticity there, especially when one considers he trained under Marco Pierre White, a brilliant, bad-boy chef who has a terrifying reputation of his own. Once upon a time, he even famously made Ramsay cry. 

In his 2006 autobiography, "The Devil in the Kitchen," White wrote of Ramsay, "I don't recall what he'd done wrong but I yelled at him and he lost it. Gordon crouched down in the corner of the kitchen, buried his head in his hands and started sobbing." The incident took place at Harveys Restaurant which was located in the Wandsworth district in London, where Ramsay worked for White for two years. A rep for Ramsay confirmed the event to The Independent, saying that the story had "some truth" to it, while also acknowledging that Ramsay was a young, 20-year-old greenhorn chef, just starting out in the cutthroat restaurant industry.

White and Ramsay had a tumultuous relationship in the ensuing years, but Ramsay has been open about his admiration for his mentor, who he compared to Picasso during an appearance on "High Performance." 

Marco Pierre White isn't ignorant about how he is perceived by the public. But, he reminds people that working in and running a professional kitchen is no walk in the park, and that his notoriety has been largely embellished. During an older interview, White claims, "My reputation is a product of exaggeration and ignorance. Did I shout? Yes. Did I scream? At times. Service is service and in service, chefs shout." He spoke again about the incident with Gordon Ramsay, but somewhat changed his tune from what he wrote in his book, stating, "No, I didn't make Gordon Ramsay cry. He made himself cry. That was his choice to cry." Ouch.

It's notable that White also defended his kitchens and staff, as well, and was known to kick unruly customers out of his restaurants. In another early interview, White claimed that he considered his restaurant his house, and would not tolerate anyone who was rude, obnoxious, or arrived late.

Both White and Ramsay experienced immense pressure to consistently create perfection. Before he was 30 years old, Ramsay had earned his first Michelin star for his restaurant, Aubergine. Subsequently, Ramsay earned many more stars throughout his career. White was also in his mid-20s when he received his first star at Harveys. To receive and maintain these accolades — not to mention running Ramsay's many restaurants around the world — requires an incredible amount of discipline and commitment from the entire kitchen staff, as well an executive chef who knows how to keep everyone in line. Sometimes, tempers naturally run high. And, yes, that probably comes with some tears along the way.