Controversial chef Gordon Ramsay is back on the box tonight – and this time he’s planning to cook up a storm in prison.
In Gordon Behind Bars he's given himself six months to set up a successful business by getting inmates of London’s Brixton Prison – a place full of drug dealers, burglars, muggers and thieves - cooking food to sell on the outside.
"This isn't just a 'let's go and cook along with Gordon in prison' thing,” Ramsay insists. “The idea came from the fact that there are approximately 80,000 inmates across the [UK] now, which is a hell of a lot.
“It was about getting them doing something with their time, giving something back, and also getting job-ready. The biggest problem is the re-offending percentages, people just go round and round in the system.”
One of the most obvious problems Ramsay faced was keeping his notorious temper in check. This time around he’s not dealing with stressed-out waiters or chefs – some of these guys would be proper tough nuts.
“I've been with offenders, from robbers to arms smugglers arm to gang members, you name it, we dealt with it,” says Ramsay. “You knew any time that it was going to kick off. It could be about anything.
“I had to walk on eggshells, because it was very fragile, insecure, awkward temperaments that I was dealing with. Every time something went wrong, you could tell it was going to kick off.
“They did push my buttons, and I did get upset, because there's only so much you can take before you get to boiling point. And I did end up letting rip in the end.”
Gordon Behind Bars is on Channel 4 at 9.00pm
