Everything You Need To Know About Gordon Ramsay's Wife

Gordon Ramsay is one of the most famous chefs in the world. He has a vast empire of restaurants, and thanks to his television shows, he's become a household name. Ramsay is also well-known for his volcanic temper and his penchant for strewing profanities like bonbons. You probably don't know as much about Gordon Ramsay's wife of 24 years, Tana. She grew up on a farm in Kent and was training as a Montessori teacher when she met Ramsay, per The Herald Scotland. 

Tana Ramsay has mostly kept out of the spotlight, but occasionally, she steals the focus from her husband. She's a cookbook writer, and she pals around with celebrities, raised five children, runs marathons, and pretty much lives a picture-perfect life. But Gordon, her parents, and her siblings are fodder for the tabloids, and Tana deals admirably with the seemingly endless soap opera. We've pulled out the truth from the gossip, so read on and discover who the real Tana Ramsay is.

Gordon Ramsay's wife isn't a trained chef, and she admitted that it takes her forever to chop an onion or carrot, per the Toronto City News. But while husband Gordon was off filming television shows, the responsibility for feeding their children fell on her shoulders. "I remember going home and having a home-cooked meal on the table — just the comfort that gave me as a child and the security it makes you feel. That's what I want to do for my family." 

According to The Guardian, Ramsay began by writing recipes for a weekly magazine, which led to her first cookbook in 2006: "Tana Ramsay's Family Kitchen." Despite the perky and perfectly staged cover photo, the cookbook doesn't have the fussy recipes attributed to her husband. She said, "I was determined that it should be real, that it be full of things that people can actually do." 

Since her first cookbook's publication, Ramsay has followed up with four more cookbooks. According to The Observer, they are generally geared to assure time-deficient and stressed-out moms that they're not failures "for forgetting to stock up on organic cumin seeds." There have been suggestions that Ramsay is cashing in on her husband's fame, but she shrugs them off. "I'd be stupid if I thought that Gordon wasn't the reason I'd been asked to do it. But I can either dwell on that, and worry what people are going to say, or I can get on with it."

In 2006, Gordon Ramsay catered David and Victoria Beckham's pre-World Cup party, and the two couples became close friends, per The Mirror. Gordon and David bonded over their mutual love of sports, and as reported by the Daily Mail, Gordon Ramsay's wife and Victoria were drawn together by the similarities in their families. Their friendship grew stronger when they all moved to Los Angeles (per Bustle). The families take regular annual vacations together, and as their children have matured, Gordon has publicly stated the kids will never get romantically involved, per the Daily Mail. 

Tana and Victoria are often spotted in public with similar hairstyles and wearing similar clothes by the same designers. Tana admitted that she's taken fashion tips from her BFF, and although she's changed her hair color to match Posh Spice's shade, she insists that they're very different and that she hasn't turned herself into a Beckham clone. When David retired from professional sports in 2013, the Beckhams moved back to London, and Tana and Victoria haven't been together as often. However, in 2018, Victoria threw a 44th birthday party for her BFF with both families and surprised Tana with a cake that had hand-crafted icing figurines of the entire Ramsay clan, per The Daily Record. 

Matilda "Tilly" Ramsay is Gordon Ramsay and his wife's daughter. She first appeared on her father's show "The F-Word" when she learned the harsh realities of animal husbandry as she watched the turkeys she helped raise in the garden be taken off for slaughter, per the Daily Mail. The only way that Tilly could get attention in her noisy family was by cooking. In an interview with Waitrose Weekend (via The List), she admitted: "It is easier to get attention by producing a tasty dinner for everyone than it is jumping up and down making a lot of noise all the time." Inspired by both parents, Tilly's confidence grew, and she made appearances alongside Gordon on "Hell's Kitchen" and "MasterChef Junior."

In 2015, Tilly's own show, "Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch," premiered. The show follows the family on their summer vacations where Tilly prepared meals and traded quips with her father. As reported by The Guardian, Tana is the domestic goddess of the show, providing the calm and sensible glue that holds the family together, and she "makes Gwyneth Paltrow look like Waynetta Slob." Like both parents, Tilly wrote a companion cookbook that caters to her hit show's audience — children and young adults who are just learning the basics. Before the pandemic, "Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch" had racked up 75 episodes.

Gordon Ramsay's wife has admitted that she enjoys an old-fashioned marriage — husband goes to work, wife manages the household. And even when Gordon confessed in his autobiography that he's "never changed a nappy," Tana defended him: "Why does it bother people so much? If it bothered me, I'd have said so at the time" (via The Herald Scotland). Her devotion was sorely tested when it was revealed in 2008 that he'd had a seven-year affair with a professional mistress, Sarah Symonds. Ramsay denied the allegations, even joking about it at a live cooking demonstration (per the Daily Mail). But Symonds fought back, claiming to the now-defunct News of the World that he was lying. "Gordon has his PR team working round the clock, trying desperately to protect Brand Ramsay and this image of him as the ultimate family man" (as reported by the New Zealand Herald).

Throughout the scandal, Tana projected an aura of strength and dignity. However, in private, she was reportedly shocked. As the tabloids continued to churn out this soap opera, the sales of Tana's cookbook, "Home Made," increased, while Gordon's book sales took a hit. Tana made no public statement as to why she chose to stay with him. But as reported by The Guardian, she's been quoted as saying: "If I worried about women throwing themselves at him, I'd become paranoid. You've got to be secure enough in your relationship. I trust Gordon; without that, there's no point."

A year after the birth of their fifth child, Oscar, the Ramsays made a virtual appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," and Tana Ramsay shocked Gordon by confessing she wanted another baby. "I've had five. It's crazy!" (via Hello!) Gordon laughed: "Six? What? Seriously?" But it hadn't been so easy for them to conceive. When they were first having trouble getting pregnant, Tana sought out medical help and learned that she has polycystic ovarian syndrome (per the Daily Mail), a hormonal disorder that can affect fertility. Combined with Gordon's low sperm count "which is probably down to the kitchen — the hours, the stress, the heat," the only option for them to conceive was with IVF, "which made me feel like a complete failure," she said. 

Although Gordon Ramsay's wife had fears about the treatment, it worked, and their first child was born in 1998. Two more children were conceived with IVF, but their fourth  — Matilda  — was conceived naturally. She hurried to Gordon's restaurant to tell him. "I never go to the kitchens," she told the Daily Mail. "The first thing he said was 'Have you damaged the car?'" In 2016, Tana had again conceived without IVF, but she miscarried at five months (per The Sun). But on New Year's Eve 2018, the couple revealed that Tana was several months pregnant (via Heart), and baby Oscar was born in April 2019.

Gordon Ramsay's wife credits her toned body to pal Victoria Beckham, with whom she takes power walks and SoulCycle spin classes (per CelebsNow). But Gordon was out of shape because of insane hours and poor eating habits. He admitted to the Daily Mail that when he and Tana began vacationing with the Beckhams, he felt uncomfortable about his body. "I didn't have a figure. I didn't feel that good." Although the tabloids wrote that Gordon took to dieting to save his marriage, in truth, Tana never threatened to leave him. Instead, she gave her mouthy husband a taste of his own tough-love talk. "Gordon's famous for being blunt," Tana said in an NBC interview (via Hello!). "I just gave him a little bit of his own medicine and basically suggested that he was getting a little wide around his middle." 

Ramsay was 270 pounds at that point, so she devised a low-fat, protein-rich eating regimen for both of them. "She put me on a strict diet," Ramsay admitted, "Every day she made me stand on those scales." Eating properly and regular exercise — often running marathons with Tana — resulted in his losing nearly 60 pounds. In 2013, Ramsay competed in his first Ironman triathlon (per the Los Angeles Times). And in 2017, Tana and their children joined him in the AJ Bell Docklands Triathlon, per Travel + Leisure.

In 2009, Gordon Ramsay's wife signed on to compete in Season 5 of "Dancing on Ice," a popular British television show that's like "Dancing with the Stars" ... on ice. Ramsay was reportedly approached twice by the show's producers until she finally agreed (per The Daily Star). "Gordon was the one that persuaded me to do it," she said. "I wasn't sure I could manage it." She hadn't performed since she was a five-year-old in ballet school, per The Mirror. And like all celebrity contestants, Ramsay had intensive pre-show training, and she was paired with professional skater Stuart Widdall. As reported by Metro, Ramsay didn't approve of her first costume. "The first costume I tried on had a diamond shape cut-out, and I said, 'I don't do cut-outs.' I have four kids and my 12-year-old would be mortified if I went on the ice with bits cut out." 

Although some of the press, like The Guardian, was snarky about her talent, Ramsay persevered for three weeks. The fourth week, Ramsay and Widdall skated to the ABBA hit "Waterloo." Ramsay failed to impress the judges (one of whom had previously called her a "frigid schoolmistress"), and she was voted off. Ramsay was gracious to the end. As reported by Digital Spy, in a post-show interview, she was quoted as saying: "I'm taking away the fact that I've performed three times. That's an achievement for someone like me who hasn't performed before."

Gordon Ramsay is infamously known for humiliating the contestants on "Hell's Kitchen" with cruel insults. But in the seventh season premiere in 2010, the attention-grabbing stunt was turned on its head. During the "signature dish" challenge, Ramsay calls upon a bespectacled brunette to present her dish: veal scallopini, which Ramsay promptly declared looked like "baby vomit" (via the New York Daily News). Then he tasted it. As recounted by the Daily Mail, Ramsay was shocked that the scallopini was so delicious. "It may look slightly dull and boring — a little bit like you — but well done." The contestant cowered a bit, and Ramsay asked why she was so nervous. "You're scary," she said. 

Ramsay surprised the other contestants when he moved in to give her a comforting hug to relax. He then leaned in to kiss her cheeks, which turned into a passionate kiss on her lips. "That was f*****g amazing," he said. "Before we go any further, this person is not who you think she is. This person is my wife." Gordon Ramsay's wife pulled off her wig and glasses, and they kissed again. 

Ramsay apparently had a point to the charade. "I don't give two f**** about how much experience you've got. What I do care about is, who's got the magic? Who has 'it'? She definitely has it." But not all of the contestants were amused. "What a filthy bastard," one contestant was caught saying (via Eater).

In 1998, Gordon Ramsay opened his first restaurant with the financial help of his father-in-law Chris Hutcheson (per The Guardian), and over the next several years, Hutcheson was the CEO of Gordon Ramsay Holdings. Not only were they business partners, but they were also inseparable friends. Men's Journal reported that the two men played squash together and ran marathons. Ramsay wore the apron, and Hutcheson wore the business suit. 

But in 2010, Ramsay learned that Hutcheson had withdrawn nearly £1.5 million in loans from the company and fired him. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Hutcheson denied any impropriety and insisted he'd paid back all of the money. "I feel like I have been vaporized by Gordon," he complained, "and the only question I have is why? Why have you done this to me?" 

Hutcheson had already heard rumors that Ramsay was planning to get rid of him and confronted Gordon Ramsay's wife about whether she knew what was happening. "What the f*** is going on?" he demanded. "There is a conspiracy. I can feel it."

When Gordon Ramsay's wife's father's firing became public, Tana again stood by Gordon. And as reported by the Daily Mail, her mother, Greta, spurned her with a searing letter: "Tana, you are not ­welcome anywhere near our door. I cannot believe that you have done this to your father." Ramsay came to his wife's defense by publishing an open letter to Greta: "You're punishing your daughter and our four children for all the wrong reasons" (per The Star). But the family drama was about to get even more intense.

Ramsay's private detective discovered that Hutcheson had two long-standing extra-marital relationships (per The Mirror). Wife number two was Frances Collins, with whom Hutcheson had two children. He provided them with a luxurious life and put his illegitimate son on the Ramsay payroll. Wife number three was Sara Stewart, and Hutcheson paid for her four children's education in private schools. When her husband died, Hutcheson hired Sara and gave her a 2.5% share of a Ramsay subsidiary.

Gordon had revealed everything to Tana, and though she was shocked, she attempted to mediate between her father and her husband. According to the Daily Mail, the meeting went poorly and strengthened Tana's resolve to completely support Ramsay. As he said in an interview: "The more s*** the family throw at her makes us stronger."

The finale to Gordon Ramsay's wife's sordid family saga unfolded in 2017. In 2011, Ramsay sued Hutcheson for embezzlement but also for hacking into his personal and company computers. Hutcheson and his two sons, Adam and Chris, Jr. (one of Hutcheson's illegitimate children), hacked into Ramsay's emails to find a photo of Sara Stewart, one of Hutcheson's two mistresses. As reported by The Guardian, the Hutchesons illegally hacked almost 2,000 emails in search of the photo — which they regarded as a breach of Stewart's privacy — as well as any communication between Ramsay and his lawyers regarding Ramsay's suit against Hutchenson. In 2012, Ramsay paid a £2 million settlement to cut all business ties to his father-in-law. This seemed to be the end of the story. 

But then in 2017, the Hutchesons were charged under Operation Tuleta — a British police investigation into computer hacking. Dragged into the mess was Tana's sister, Orlanda Butland, who was charged as a co-conspirator, per Sky News. Hutcheson pled guilty, and just before his sentencing, as the Daily Mail reports, Tana asked the judge to not send her father to jail. The judge, however, sentenced Hutcheson to prison for six months. Tana's brothers were given four-month prison sentences and suspended two years, per The Guardian. Hutcheson served his six months, and soon after his release, he declared bankruptcy (per the Daily Mail).