Gordon Ramsay

It's very hard when you eat out every day for a living, and a new restaurant comes along and you haven't got that same vigour that you had 10 years ago.

No one saw the recession coming.

I came up from a difficult background.

Find what's hot, find what's just opened and then look for the worst review of the week. There is so much to learn from watching a restaurant getting absolutely panned and having a bad experience. Go and see it for yourself.

I act on impulse and I go with my instincts.

My father was a swim teacher. We used to swim before school, swim after school.

I grew up in a funny way.

Running started as a way of relaxing. It's the only time I have to myself. No phones or e-mails or faxes.

If I can give you one strong piece of advice, when you go away for that romantic weekend, whatever you do, do not accept or take the upgrade to the honeymoon suite.

I am the most unselfish chef in Britain today.

I'm not trying to take New York by storm. I just want to sneak in there, keep my head down, batten down the hatches and cook.

I'm Gordon Ramsay, for goodness sake: people know I'm volatile.

I won't let people write anything they want to about me.

There is a level of snobbery and fickleness in L.A.

I didn't get depressed, I don't get depressed.

I suppose your security is your success and your key to success is your fine palate.

It's vulgar, coming from where I do, to talk about money.

I am a chef who happens to appear on the telly, that's it.

I want my kids to see me as Dad, for God's sake, not a television personality.

As a soccer player, I wanted an FA Cup winner's medal. As an actor you want an Oscar. As a chef it's three-Michelin's stars, there's no greater than that. So pushing yourself to the extreme creates a lot of pressure and a lot of excitement, and more importantly, it shows on the plate.