- How are you, darling? (audience applauding)
- How are you?
- I'm so well.
Obviously, happy to be here,
and more importantly, congrats on the show.
It looks incredible.
- Oh, thank you so much.
It is a really wild ride, this surreal time, you know.
2020, trying to launch a show in this,
has been such an extraordinary challenge,
but I'm so grateful for it.
I'm so grateful to have the opportunity,
and, you know,
it's so funny,
because I actually want to ask you life advice,
before anything to do with food.
- Oh.
- Like, how do you be so unafraid with people?
You know?
Some people would like call it like, Oh, you're harsh,
you're mean, you're rude.
I mean, you made the idiot sandwich,
where you put two pieces of bread between, you know,
with the human being in-between, and that's just funny.
That's just straight-up funny.
Maybe it's comedy, like, that helps you get away with it.
But I am someone who really worries about people's feelings.
Like, I am a human welcome mat.
I am a human doormat, sometimes.
I am a human, like, is everything and everyone okay?
And that's just my journey in life.
- Yes.
- But I really watch people who are so strong, brave,
ballsy, and unapologetic,
and I wonder what that journey of life is like,
because I've never known it,
and I don't know if I ever will.
What is it like?
- You know, first of all,
I have to tell you, that my wife is tougher than me, okay?
She is a real nut buster, let me tell you.
Five amazing kids.
We've just had our fifth, literally 18 months ago.
Dealing with, you know, situations,
the kitchen's live,
and getting the best out of individuals,
and pushing them to the extent,
takes courage, commitment, stamina.
And I think more importantly,
it's an amazing career to have,
when you want to be the very best at it.
So, you know, from "Kitchen Nightmares"
to "24 Hours to Hell and Back",
dealing with those real-life situations.
Drew, I haven't got three months to spend with them.
I'm spending, you know, seven to 10 days with them,
at a time,
and I want to give them everything I've got,
so that may come across a little bit blunt,
slightly sort of abruptly.
But, it's straight to the point,
because if there's one thing my mum taught me, was,
get off your chest, be honest,
and yeah, just get straight to the heart of the matter.
Once you've got that, you know, opened up,
you then start dissecting the problem,
and dealing with it, you know, head on.
- But there's, that's very interesting,
because I think I am really honest,
and I am direct, and I am unafraid.
I don't think I would be here if I was really an actual,
like, spineless doormat.
I clearly have the balls and the confidence
to have gotten myself to where I've gotten to.
And I met you in person, by the way,
at a restaurant one time, and I was so excited,
because my kids and I watch "Master Chef Junior",
and we met you.
You were the nicest person. So kind, so ingratiating.
But is there, like,
is it a relief in life to just say what's on your mind?
What is it like?
'Cause I think I say it in a comedic way,
or in a safe room, but not out in front.
Like, I kind of really want to be you for a day,
or a year.
What's it like?
- It makes the situation in your day a lot clearer,
because you're not harboring problems.
And so, if there's one thing that we all learned,
not just through the lockdown,
twice now over the last nine months,
which has been pretty horrific for everybody,
it's about getting to harbor what's wrong.
And so, when I walked into the kitchen,
tonight, for instance, you know,
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay just celebrated 22 years,
in Chelsea.
And the only thing I want to know is,
not the complimentary letters,
is what's upsetting the team, get it off your chest,
tell me how I can make your day better.
So, that sort of then brings out their confidence,
and makes them a much better individual,
and allows them to become heard.
It substantiates their voice, but,
clearing the air is called clearing the problems.
Talking is super important,
and that level of communication sometimes is brutal,
but you need to talk,
you need to get it off your chest.
And so, yeah, that's quite a refreshing moment for me,
when I can see all those barriers dissipating,
and that confidence rising, that, for me,
is a sign of a great chef.
And you know how hard this industry is.
You need to be on top of your game.
You need to be a leader, a motivator, a father figure,
you know, someone that stands with discipline,
and someone that, you know, shows confidence.
And that's really important.
- Okay, everything you said is completely on point,
so strong, so right,
and such great advice to any human living their life,
or any person trying to do a business.
But how do you process people's feelings afterwards?
'Cause that's my downfall.
I literally sit there and I'm like, did I upset them?
Did I hurt them? Did I freak them out?
Like, I eviscerate myself, in like a self-loathing spiral.
If I think, in order to get business done,
that I've upset the cart.
How do you deal with that?
I am literally asking life advice.
- Yeah, that's a good question.
So, listen, you know, people's feelings are different.
Your feelings, your temperament, your thick skin,
and you have that on multiple levels on a daily basis.
I deal with the problem first,
and then I start piecing the feelings together.
If you start, treading on eggshells,
and you start worrying about the feelings
before identifying the problem,
then you're the wrong way around.
So, feelings are personal,
and sometimes you have to get through to their feelings,
for them to how big the problem is.
So, that's a very difficult juxtaposition,
to understand how far do you push them.
I do understand their feelings,
but I'm very good at bringing people back up.
Deal with a problem, get it off your chest,
understand where we're going,
and then start working on the feelings.
Don't worry about their feelings to begin with,
because you'll never get to the heart of the problem, Drew.
And you'll be there for seven days,
trying to get the message across.
So, you and I need to spend more time together.
- I know.
And I'm realizing it's 'cause I didn't have parents.
I'm not kidding, and parents put you in your place,
and I never had that.
I lived a life where I had access to everything,
and no one was disciplining me ever.
- One man that puts me in my place.
(laughing)
- Oh my goodness. And you have five kids.
Now, this is gonna sound like the weirdest segue ever,
but seeing your beautiful, yummy, delicious child,
which is now, I know why I'm on this planet,
is for my daughters,
is that you are doing the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
- Yes. That's right.
- And this is so important to us and our show,
and what are you doing right now, and how can we support it?
(hands clapping) (child whining)
- So, we have the most amazing relationship
with Make-A-Wish, thanks darling.
Do you think he looks like me?
- I do. And he's adorable.
As are you, but I don't mean that in a flirty way,
because you're married, and I respect your wife,
and I just think you look lovely, Gordon.
- She loves you.
Make-A-Wish Foundation has been hit awfully this year,
and so I've been working with them now for over 12 years.
And so the idea of this is collaborated together,
and going back, head-to-head,
with the amazing Sean Evans on the "Hot Ones",
and having a competition
to see who has the strongest palate,
how many more wings can I devour,
how much more can I sweat from every hole in my body,
and raise money for Make-A-Wish.
Because, listen, we're very fortunate, touch wood.
We have five very healthy kids and we're blessed.
But, Make-A-Wish has suffered tremendously this year,
and so the idea is to raise substantial funds for them,
in order to help them through this difficult year.
- And you've worked with them a long time,
and you've been such an important figure for them.
(upbeat music)