Gordon Ramsay has confessed that he effectively "stole" his wife Tana from one of his mates after being instantly captivated by her appearance when they first crossed paths in the early nineties.
The award-winning chef, 59, is set to return to screens in a new tell-all documentary about his life for Netflix, where he delves into juggling his family time with his hectic work schedule.
The celebrity chef recalled spotting Tana while she was dating his friend Tim. "Tana was driving the car and I was sat in the back seat looking at my mate going, 'oh my god your girlfriend is f***ing gorgeous'," Gordon said.
He likened her to a youthful Julia Roberts, adding that she brought "this level of excitement like no other."
Gordon Ramsay and Tana Ramsay celebrate 30 years of marriage this year
|PA
However, the attraction was far from mutual at the time. Tana, 51, admitted her initial impression of the future television star was decidedly unfavourable.
"I thought he was really arrogant, really full of himself," she revealed. "He used to really irritate me."
The pair tied the knot in December 1996 and are set to mark their pearl wedding anniversary later this year.
Their romance blossomed unexpectedly when circumstances changed just weeks after that first meeting.
Gordon Ramsay and Tana Ramsay
|PA
"It took about a month and then we were both single," Tana explained. "We ended up chatting one night and chatted all night. I must have fancied him."
She acknowledged that despite her early reservations, Gordon's drive and determination won her over. "The amazing ambition was there, absolute dedication, he's always been someone who dreams big, but he's just Gordon to me."
The couple have since built a family of six children together: Megan, 27, twins Holly and Jack, 26, Matilda, 24, Oscar, six, and Jesse James, two.
The rare insight into their family life comes amid an ongoing family dispute surrounding their daughter Holly's marriage to Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Gordon Ramsay opens up about his family in his new Netflix documentary
|NETFLIX
The couple wed at Bath Abbey on December 27 in a ceremony that drew celebrity guests but also exposed deep rifts within the groom's family, with several relatives absent from the occasion.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Gordon addressed the fallout directly, maintaining that he and Tana bore no responsibility for the tensions.
"It's all self-inflicted from their side, because we've done nothing — none of what you've read: no rudeness, no ignorance — we welcomed them," he stated.
The chef insisted the family had extended every courtesy to their son-in-law's relatives, claiming: "We sent a chauffeur-driven car for them to come to the engagement party and treated them like royalty."
Gordon Ramsay and wife Tana in Being Gordon Ramsay
|NETFLIX
The Peaty family has strongly disputed the Ramsays' account of events, with relatives reportedly branding the chef a "bully" following his public comments.
One family member told The Sun that the Ramsays' denial was untrue, stating: "How bl***y dare they. The sheer gall of them."
They claimed Caroline was treated "as though she was nothing" and that Tana never responded to any of her text messages. A promised lunch on the engagement day allegedly never took place.
Despite the animosity, both Gordon and Tana have expressed hope for eventual reconciliation. The chef said he would like to travel to Nottingham with his wife to meet the Peatys and "draw a line in the sand."
Tana reflected on her own experience with family disputes, noting: "You can't be happy when there's a fallout going on — no one wants that."