Gordon Ramsay defends 'unspoilt' daughter Tilly's career as chef

Across a career spanning 40 years, 17 Michelin stars with eight still held, more episodes of telly than you can count, and a culinary lineage shared with Marco Pierre White and Raymond Blanc, Gordon Ramsay is one of the biggest names in the culinary world.

The notoriously foul-mouthed stickler for standards is perhaps the world’s most famous chef, which is no mean feat considering he hails from an island that’s much derided for its cooking.

Tilly Ramsay is following in her father's footsteps, and she's doing it off her own back (FOX / Contributor/Getty Images)

You’ll have seen him tearing into legions of misguided chefs on Kitchen Nightmares, Hotel Hell and The F Word to name just a few of his hit shows, spurring his reputation for a hard-headed and no-nonsense attitude to the kitchen.

His bullish nature, however, gives way to a softer side when it comes to kids. You’ve likely seen the patient and caring Ramsay on MasterChef Junior in particular, revealing there’s a nurturing core beneath the near-military bluster for which he’s best-known.

With six kids shared with wife Tana Ramsay, he’s taken a devoted approach to fatherhood that’s been rooted in keeping them grounded where he can. Being born into a rich and famous family is a notorious route to personal success – or otherwise – but it seems that Ramsay has instilled a passion for hard work in his offspring.

"My family is like an army now," Ramsay told Closer Magazine. "But, thankfully, Tilly is the first one who's interested in cooking. She paid for herself – worked, saved the money, and has gone off to culinary school."

Tilly is now studying at cookery school (Instagram/@tillyramsay)

He continued: "I said goodbye and put her on the ferry, and I thought, 'f**k, why didn't she ask me to teach her? Is that my first big major f**k up?' I can't wait to ask that question – but it just got to show how unspoilt my kids are.

"They're individually following their own path and aren't dependent on their parents. I think that's a good call."

In a landscape that’s become particularly cynical around the concept of the ‘nepo baby’ – the son or daughter of someone famous who’s been propelled into fame of their own thanks to their strong starting hand – it’s always refreshing to hear about famous kids who forge their own paths, even if they’re following their parents’ footsteps.

Ramsay shares six kids with wife Tana, pictured here in 2016 (Denise Truscello / Contributor/Getty Images)

Tilly isn’t the only kid from the Ramsay household to have taken a challenging path, with his son Jack having become a soldier.

"Jack is in the Royal Marine Commandos," Ramsay said. "He didn't ask to be born into a sort of famous family, and he's doing as I did – he's grafting, fending for himself, becoming independent, and not relying on his parents. He's got everything."

He said he has always stressed an important maxim to his children: "You'll appreciate it more if you're not handed it on a plate."