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Gordon Ramsay: Cookalong Live

Gordon Ramsay
  • Posted at 12:31pm
  • 31 October 2008
  • by AlisonGraham-RT
  • 3 comments

After watching the exhausting, excruciating Gordon Ramsay: Cookalong Live (24 October, Channel 4), I became convinced that Ramsay should never again be allowed anywhere near a kitchen activity that necessitated the use of the words "toss" and its cousin "tosser" (as in salad), "knob" (as in butter) and "nuts" (as in, well, nuts).

The problem was that there was a lady present (Patsy Kensit, who was cooking along with Ramsay in the studio) which turned an already febrile, leering, markedly over-excited Ramsay into an unappetising mixture of Just William and Benny Hill. I wouldn't have been in the least bit surprised if Ramsay had jumped on a tricycle and chased her around the studio.

On the face of it, Cookalong looked like a good idea, with Ramsay as culinary choirmaster leading us through the preparation and cooking of a three-course meal. The result, though, was chaos. It was on too late, to begin with. Who wants to start preparing a three-course evening meal at 9pm on a Friday?

And there were too many silly, pointless live cutaways to volunteers around the country who were taking part in the show. Technical difficulties meant that Ramsay was often yelling into empty air as in: "Royston, tell me about your tattoo… Royston, tell me about your tattoo… Royston..? Royston?" Alas, Royston and his tattoo were to remain for ever a mystery.

DJ Chris Moyles called the studio (why?) and there were filmed inserts featuring a disguised Ramsay attempting to go undercover at cookery schools run by Jean Christophe Novelli and Delia Smith. The less said about these the better, but when confronted by the real Ramsay, Delia, though polite, looked as if she would like to turn his head into a pie.

But it was the damp innuendos that turned Cookalong into Carry On Up Your Shortcrust Pastry, Missus. Ramsay couldn't stop himself; he was out of control with nerves and adrenaline. Kensit tried to be a good sport but, after one unforgivably cheap comment as she bent to put something in an oven, she should have cleaned out his mouth with a pan scourer.

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Comments

  • Posted on 02 November 2008
  • at 7:43am
  • by Steve

I too watch this show for the first time and have to say it was great, and could not wait until the next show which proofed slightly disappointing compared.

  • Posted on 01 November 2008
  • at 8:45pm
  • by BigDawgRob

Yeah I agree, but episode 2 was much better. With vegas the focus was on the cooking and if you're cooking along the cutaways are very welcome!

  • Posted on 01 November 2008
  • at 5:08pm
  • by MazY

I salute you for your stamina. I managed to watch about ten minutes of this programme before it bored me into submission. For a chef who once had such vitriol for 'celebrity chefs', he sure does seem to be courting television a great deal, and not always with great success.

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