‘Naked’ celebrity chef escalates ongoing feud with Gordon Ramsay
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It's a battle between British celebrity chefs. (AP Photo)
Gordon Ramsay may not have a reputation for remaining calm in the kitchen but the notorious hot headed bad boy is being called out by a fellow British superstar chef for his off-screen behavior.
Jamie Oliver, the television personality who rose to fame as “The Naked Chef,” is now worth a reported $355 million—more than double Ramsay’s estimated net worth. And now the boyish-looking food star claims his fellow Brit is envious of his rags-to-riches success.
"Gordon will do anything to try and take the piss out of me because he is deeply jealous and can't quite work out why I do what I do and why he can't do that,” Oliver told the Mirror. "He is too busy shouting and screaming and making our industry look like a bunch of shouters and screamers."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Last year, Ramsay called out Oliver for failing to show up to the opening of his own restaurant Jamie’s Italian in Hong Kong.
"Two British chefs, Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay, rubbing shoulders together in Hong Kong. At least I'm here, I came to my opening, right? If you're going to open a restaurant in Hong Kong at least turn up," the outspoken chef told CNBC in 2014.
Last November, Ramsay accused an unnamed chef of "sabotaging" the opening night of his newest restaurant in London by calling in dozens of fake reservations-- could Oliver have been behind the feat?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The tensions have continued to escalate as both chefs extend their empires.
Oliver has released 15 cookbooks, selling over 37 million copies. Ramsay, meanwhile, has released 21 books—but sold comparatively fewer-- about three million copies in total, according to the Mirror. That difference has only been adding fuel to fire.
“I think that really, really annoys him,” Oliver said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Book sales are about having a deep trusted relationship with the public. I really write my books. I don't just turn up for the front cover. I write every word, every letter and I oversee every bit of design. You can sell a few books by luck or a moment ... but not 15 years and 37million books. That's not luck.”