F-Word chef Gordon Ramsay claims the thrill of potentially being a TV flop drives him on to do more shows.
The star has made a string of successful programmes over the years including Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, Ramsay’s Best Restaurant and Next Level Chef.
However last year he completely bombed with his BBC game show Bank Balance.
It was axed after just one series because the ratings were so bad.
But Ramsay, 55, reckons he needs the jeopardy of having failures and fans not being entertained by his shows to keep making more TV.
He said: “It’s always about being better than what we’ve already done, and constantly pushing the envelope.
“I don’t sit and think ‘We’ve made it’ or ‘We’re financially secure. Why work so hard?’
“I need that jeopardy. I need the danger of it possibly not working. And I need to be pushed, because that’s when you’re going to get me at my best.
“Can I keep going? I got consumed in this business in my early 40s. And then, how do I claw time back to become super strong and fit?
“I started taking up triathlons and I did my first Ironman at the age of 43 in Hawaii. And so now at 55, I’m fit as a fiddle. And I can go for another 30 seasons. Trust me. You have not seen the end of me. Do not underestimate the power of an old man.”
Ramsay is about to make his 21st series of Hell’s Kitchen in the USA – where aspiring chefs compete to be crowned the champ by him – and he believes it can run and run.
He said of its success: “I love Hell’s Kitchen. I run a restaurant, Fox runs the show, and I keep that as real as possible.
“Those doors open, guests sit down, and I run a f***king restaurant. And I think that’s why it works, because these chefs are competing for an amazing position. They’re getting a great platform.”
The fiery chef’s most recent hit Next Level Chef had the highest-rated series premiere of the season on Fox as it ranked the highest-rated series debut in a year for the network.
The show, which sees three teams of five chefs be challenged in each episode to cook a dish in one of three kitchens, is one of the networks biggest budget cooking shows ever having spent a whopping $4million on the new set.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk