It was an emotional moment for the pair
Gordon Ramsay and Tilly Ramsay at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada(Image: David Becker – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)(Image: 2025 Formula One World Championship Limited)
We all know it can be a bit flustering when your parents turn up when you’re at school or college. But if your dad was world-famous celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay – it’s safe to say that’s a different kettle of fish altogether.
The star-studded cook and TV star was seen making a surprise visit to his daughter Tilly as she trained at East Cork‘s renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School in his new Netflix series, Being Gordon Ramsay. The show gives a behind-the-scenes look at Gordon’s life that’s a far cry from his past appearances on favourites like Kitchen Nightmares or Hotel Hell. And it captured a very emotional moment for the star when he dropped in to see his daughter as she was cooking alongside her classmates.
The short snippet from the series – which was shared by the Ballymaloe team on social media – captures the exact moment he stunned Tilly, who likely had no idea her father was even in the country. Gordon can be seen wiping tears from his eyes after hugging his daughter, and in a later interview, he opened up on the challenges she faces as she enters the culinary world.
He said: “I get emotional because of the vulnerability. I’m not saying she has to work as hard as I did, but I know she wants it. She’s hungry. And so everyone thinks: ‘Because, ah, you’re Ramsay’s daughter, it’s easy for you.’ It’s f*****g harder for her. Way harder. She didn’t ask to have a dad like me. So for her to still go full throttle at it, I want to almost say: ‘Look, you know I’m here to stop you from making mistakes.’ But I know deep down inside from a dad’s point of view she has to make her own mistakes.”
You can check out the clip below.
The full first season of Being Gordon Ramsay aired on Netflix earlier this month, and it covers the complete story behind the chef’s ‘biggest launch yet’: opening five restaurants and a culinary school on the top floors of the second-tallest building in London.
Gordon recently opened up about how proud he was of his daughter Tilly for following in his footsteps – but revealed he was a little upset that she didn’t choose him to train her. Speaking to Closer magazine, he said: “It does f*** me off from a chef’s point of view, that she’s getting taught to cook by someone other than Gordon Ramsay. Does she think that three stars is not relevant today?”
Gordon added that Tilly’s decision proves his children aren’t ‘nepo babies’ relying on the family name. He said: “She paid for herself – worked, saved the money, and has gone off to culinary school.
“I said goodbye and put her on the ferry, and I thought, ‘F***, why didn’t she ask me to teach her? Is that my first big major f*** up?’ I can’t wait to ask that question – but it just goes 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.”
Tilly and her dad, who share a birthday, have always been very close, so it’s no surprise she went down the culinary route. The pair have appeared on many of Ramsay’s TV shows together, including Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted and Masterchef. The youngest Ramsay also has a Psychology degree.