This Gordon Ramsay Argument Turned Into A Physical Altercation

Gordon Ramsay, who's made a name for himself in the culinary world as a blunt, foul-mouthed, and sometimes short-tempered chef, used to be even testier than he is today. In fact, his attitude once became a physical threat to contestants and colleagues on his show "Hell's Kitchen."

In 2004, Ramsay was on set in Los Angeles filming an episode of the then-new culinary contest when a contestant allegedly set off his short fuse. According to The Scotsman, the argument escalated into a brawl and ultimately, the contestant in question was taken to the hospital for treatment after being pushed to the ground. As the outlet explained, the man suffered a sprained ankle amid his scuffle with Ramsay. Though Ramsay claimed he didn't mean to send the man to the hospital, the incident was serious enough to send the network into a tailspin, frantically scrambling to avoid legal ramifications.

"One cast member did hurt his ankle on set and was taken to hospital, where it was diagnosed as a sprain. He was advised to rest and therefore taken off the show. This is a minor matter and will not interfere with the rest of the production timetable. This is all we are advised to say at this moment," a British spokeswoman for Ramsay said at the time, (per The Scotsman).

Ramsay, not exactly an expert in apologies, also addressed the on-set altercation, saying that while he did get extremely "p-ssed off" at the contestant, he didn't intend for their encounter to get physical. "The guy wound me up and I got angry. He hurt his ankle when he fell. It wasn't intentional. I'm Gordon Ramsay, for goodness sake: people know I'm volatile. But I didn't mean to hurt the guy," he explained (via The Scotsman).

The television network, seeking to avoid a lawsuit, quickly began strategizing with Ramsay and the rest of the team. After all, Ramsay's actions had led to a contestant requiring medical attention — not exactly a good look for a celebrity chef, no matter his feisty persona. "Everyone is really p***ed off with me. I've been in constant meetings with lawyers trying to avoid a lawsuit. My people in the UK know about it and they're really angry with me." 

Thanks to Ramsay's pro legal team, the incident remained a minor one. Still, Ramsay didn't learn his lesson. Since 2004, he's been at the center of a number of scandals, from accusations of sexist and racist comments to backlash following his public goat shooting.