Marco Pierre White has revealed the real reason behind his long-running feud with fellow chef Gordon Ramsay, saying it began when Ramsay brought television cameras to his wedding.
Speaking to The Times, White explained that the origin of the rift was his marriage to third wife Mati Conejero, with whom he shares three children and from whom he permanently separated in 2012.
Wedding Cameras Sparked the Rift
“Gordon bringing TV cameras to my wedding – that’s why I didn’t speak to him for years,” White said. “Would you be happy if I brought a camera crew to your wedding? Why bring it up? Let sleeping dogs lie. Not clever.”
White, 64, was once Ramsay’s mentor at the London restaurant Harveys. The pair fell out after White made Ramsay cry during his final shift at the establishment, and they have been critical of each other in the press ever since. In a 2012 interview, Ramsay, 59, said White was “a little bit sad.”
Addressing Old Rumours
White also denied that the falling out was because he tried to “destroy” Ramsay after Ramsay moved to Michel Roux’s Le Gavroche. “I got Gordon his job at Le Gavroche,” he said. “It was me who arranged it. Why would I f*** up his job if he was leaving? Tell the truth.”
He also rejected claims of a confrontation over overcooked fish, or that he had compared the future Kitchen Nightmares star to “dog s***” for getting in his way. The Standard has contacted Ramsay’s representatives for comment.
Reuniting for a New Series
Despite their years apart, the duo are coming together with fellow chef Heston Blumenthal for a three-part series titled The Rise of the Rockstar Chef, marking their first reunion in 10 years. With Ramsay’s production company making the series, White revealed that Ramsay reached out to ask him to take part. “Gordon called and asked me to be involved. I listened, then said, ‘No,’” he recalled, claiming he only agreed if Jamie Oliver was not involved, as Oliver did not have Michelin stars like White, Ramsay and Blumenthal.
