Most people are familiar with the no-nonsense celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay. Most people would also recognize that he’s British, from his accent. But which part of Britain seems to be a bit confusing. Is Gordon Ramsay Scottish?
Yes – Gordon was born in Johnstone, Scotland in 1966. When he was five, his family moved to Stratford, England where he was raised. He was scouted to play soccer by the Glasgow Rangers from the Premier League. An injury prevented cut his professional soccer career in his home country short, after only three years.
Never one to hold back what he’s thinking, he’s partly to blame for the confusion as to whether he’s Scottish or English, as he’s claimed to be each nationality, at different times. For all intents and purposes, however, he is Scottish, as that’s the only passport he holds.
Drama of Nationality
Ramsay first stirred the pot back in 2012 when it came to his nationality, claiming that he was English. Many Scots were up in arms about the declaration. An Inverness publican demanded that Ramsay needed to apologize to the people of Scotland, even going far as saying that if he had declared this a hundred years ago, he would have had his head chopped off.
During an episode of one of his shows, Gordon, Gino, and Fred: Road Trip they each had on spandex of the flag for their home countries. Ramsay wore the Union Jack, Britain’s flag, which consists of a cross between England’s flag and Scotland’s.
Scotland is part of the British Isles, just like England, so are they really that different? Enough to lose one’s head over?
History of Scotland and England Rivalry and Conflict
The two countries have long since had a rivalry going, whether in war or sport, beginning in AD 122. This is probably why there is such an uproar when Ramsay declared English nationality.
There have been several invasions over the years, some of which stemmed from religious beliefs and others due to power. Nowadays the rivalries are a little less dramatic and dangerous, while still strongly in place.
Soccer and rugby are the two main rivalries going on between the two countries these days. And with Brexit, Scotland announcing its independence from Britain.
Famous Scots
There are famous Scots in a variety of categories from innovators, to athletes, to entertainment. The country of Scotland doesn’t seem to be a one-trick pony exporting great talent, with too many to mention, in all industries.
In addition to the celebrity Chef, Sean Connery, Ewan McGregor, Annie Lennox, and Billy Connolly are all Scottish citizens who have made their careers as an actor, actor, singer, and comedian, respectively.
Other notable Scots are former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, authors Sir Walter Scott and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Tennis Great Andy Murray, and the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell.
Man About the World
These days, Gordon Ramsey lives in more than just one place, though none of them are in Scotland. He has a place in Los Angeles, London, and Cornwall, where he is currently staying during self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. This doesn’t always mean that he’s in one of the three.
Ramsay travels a lot for his various television shows, including Uncharted, Gordon, Gino, and Fred: Road Trip, in which they did visit Scotland for an episode, and his staples such as Hell’s Kitchen and Master Chef. These are just some of the shows he still has on the air, with an additional handful of ones that he no longer does, such as Kitchen Nightmares and The F Word.
Two Sides of Ramsay
English and Scottish aren’t the only two sides to Ramsay. Anyone who’s watched his television shows, especially the earlier ones, can attest to attitude and personality. Not many cooking shows need to be bleeped as much as his have.
On the other hand, you get to see a softer side of him on Master Chef Junior. He is so quiet and patient with the kids, that you’d swear it was someone else, or that he had a split personality.
So maybe mean Ramsay has one nationality and soft Ramsay has another.