Tom Kerridge Reveals Eerie Childhood Link to Fred and Rose West
Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge has shared a chilling personal connection to two of Britain's most notorious serial killers, Fred and Rose West. In a candid interview on the Red Talks podcast, the 52-year-old Michelin-starred chef described growing up in the same Gloucester area where the Wests committed their horrific crimes.
Daily Walks Past the 'House of Horrors'
Kerridge revealed that as a child, he and his younger brother Sam would walk past 25 Cromwell Street every single day. The property became infamously known as the 'house of horrors' after the discovery of multiple murders committed there between the 1960s and 1980s.
The chef explained: "Well, funnily enough me and my brother used to walk past his house every single day. So, next to 25 Cromwell Street is, or was, an art college which, my dad, when he was alive and my mum and dad were together, he was a lecturer there. So when we were young kids, we used to go past there every single day."
Family Connections to the Wests
Kerridge disclosed an even more direct connection through his brother, who attended school with Fred West's son. "So, when it all happened my brother was like, 'I always thought he was weird'," Kerridge added during the podcast conversation with host Red Richardson.
The chef, who now lives in Marlow, Buckinghamshire where his acclaimed pub The Hand and Flowers operates, still maintains ties to his hometown. His mother and brother continue to live in Gloucester, and Kerridge returns three or four times annually to watch rugby matches and visit family.
The Wests' Crimes and Legacy
Fred and Rose West murdered at least twelve young women and girls, with some crimes committed jointly and others by Fred West alone. Their reign of terror spanned decades before their arrest in the 1990s. Fred West died by suicide in prison in 1995 before standing trial, while Rose West was convicted later that same year of ten murders and received a life sentence.
Kerridge on Fame and Career
In the same podcast interview, the chef also reflected on his culinary career and relationship with fame. Kerridge first gained national recognition when The Hand and Flowers became the first pub in the United Kingdom to receive two Michelin stars, establishing him as one of Britain's most prominent chefs.
Despite his television appearances on shows like Great British Menu and his successful restaurant group, Kerridge expressed ambivalence about celebrity status. "I'm not into fame, I find it a bit weird, I do find it a bit weird when people know who you are," he revealed. "But at the same time it's part and parcel of being in hospitality. I like being in my own space, in my own pubs and people know who you are, it's a bit odd when you're walking around."
The chef's upbringing was marked by his parents' separation when he was eleven years old, though he lived with both parents before their split. His reflections on both his childhood environment and current career provide a unique perspective on how personal history intersects with public life.
