Gordon Ramsay admits 'it was a tough one' as he addresses daughter's 'painful' decision

Gordon Ramsay has opened up about his true feelings on daughter Tilly Ramsay’s budding chef career - admitting one of her decisions was "very awkward". In 2022, the former Strictly Come Dancing contestant announced she would be heading to culinary school to follow in her father's footsteps.

However, rather than training under Gordon himself, Tilly, 24, chose to study at the prestigious Ballymaloe Cookery School in East Cork.

Reflecting on her decision, the 59-year-old admitted it was "painful" to see her go, but said he couldn't be prouder of her achievements.

• Cass Lacelle dead: TV star dies at 34 as heartbroken family issue statement
• Katie Price mystery as star and husband Lee still haven't left Dubai amid 'dark rumour'

Speaking on Scott Mills' BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show, the presenter mentioned one of his favourite family moments from the cook's Netflix series Being Gordon Ramsay.

The show follows Gordon behind the scenes as he juggles family life and his biggest launch yet, the opening of five culinary experiences in one of London's tallest buildings, 22 Bishopsgate.

Reflecting on one of the moments he enjoyed, Scott said: "The bit when Tilly gets her chef whites is so lovely."

Gordon replied: "Don’t - honestly, that was a tough one. First of all, she went off to Ballymaloe, so that was a big kick in the goolies, the fact that she doesn’t want to be trained by her dad. Very awkward.

"And then you sort of say goodbye to her and it was painful."

Although he wasn't thrilled that she chose to train elsewhere, Gordon was full of praise for everything Tilly has accomplished so far.

"Tilly’s an incredible young chef. I know how notorious this industry is, but honestly, kudos to her.

"We need more females. I think of Angela Hartnett, Clare Smyth - so fingers crossed, maybe in 10 or 15 years’ time Tils may be up there. But she’s got a journey and a half to go," he added.

Like any aspiring chef under Gordon’s watchful eye, Tilly isn’t exempt from his critique.

“I’ve tasted her pancakes and they’re okay," Gordon joked.

He added: "Last night I had chicken pie, honestly, it was delicious, with mashed potato and peas. That was cooked by Tilly. It was delicious."

However, he couldn’t resist offering a little constructive feedback.

"It did need a touch more seasoning and a touch more butter in the mash. I did detect a few lumps."

Although she only began formal culinary training in 2024, Tilly has already built more than a decade of experience in the kitchen.

From 2015 to 2019, she fronted the CBBC series Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch. She has since appeared as a mentor and judge on MasterChef Junior and, more recently, launched her own Prime Video cooking series, Dish It Out, where she cooks with mystery ingredients alongside guest chefs.