Thank God Gordon Ramsay Didn’t Replace Mary Berry on ‘Great British Bake Off’

Fans of UK cooking competition show The Great British Bake Off (also known in America as The Great British Baking Show) were shocked by the unexpected departures of judge Mary Berry, and hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins last fall. Berry was the program’s culinary authority and general guiding light, while Mel and Sue were like the show’s daffy-aunts, who always had a few baking puns at the ready. Berry, in particular, left huge, flour-splattered shoes to fill. Which is why, perhaps, it makes sense that the producers reached out to one of the world’s most famous chefs, Gordon Ramsay, to see if he would be interested in taking over the judge’s role. And, in a move that is probably best for fans of the show (and the pop culture landscape in general), Ramsay said that he wanted nothing to do with it.

“I’m not very good at sloppy seconds,” Ramsay tells the Telegraph about the conversation he had with the producers. The shouting TV chef also quips: “I don’t want to be the male version of Mary Berry. I’m 30 years younger and more wrinkly than her anyway.” Earlier this year, Channel 4 confirmed that restaurateur and food writer Prue Leith was moving into Berry’s old judge role on the show, and comedians Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig were sliding into the Mel and Sue slots. The new season of Bake Off will make its debut on Channel 4 this fall, but it’s unclear when this installment will land stateside — currently, PBS is still running through old seasons of the show with the dream team line-up of Mary, Mel, Sue, and Paul Hollywood.

In other Gordon Ramsay news, the man with all the swears recently says that, despite his riches, he’s not giving all his money to his kids, because he wants to raise them with a good work ethic. Ramsay recently remarked: “They don’t sit with us in First Class... They haven't worked anywhere near hard enough to afford that.” And in further Ramsay news, his father-in-law pleaded guilty to plotting to hack into the celebrity chef’s computer systems several years ago, and he could face up to two years in jail. Ramsay’s camp has not commented on the new developments in this long-simmering court case.

• All Coverage of The Great British Bake Off [E]
• Gordon Ramsay was offered Great British Bake off role [Mirror]
• Gordon Ramsay: 'My fortune won't be going to my children in my will' [Telegraph]
• Gordon Ramsay's father-in-law admits computer hacking [BBC]