Gordon Ramsay has shut down an “over-exaggerated” claim about a dog pooping inside one of his London restaurants.
On May 1, TikTok user @gizzellecade shared multiple videos of her visit to Ramsay’s Street Pizza location in St. Paul’s, where she noticed a dog standing on a training pad nearby. She claimed that the dog pooped on the pad in the middle of the restaurant and that the manager was “fine” with the pet’s behavior, prompting the TikToker to leave. Cade has continued to post TikTok videos since the incident.
The 59-year-old chef addressed the claims Tuesday when TMZ asked him about the TikTok videos.
“What we have seen is the CCTV footage, and under no circumstances did that dog do a pee or a poo,” he said. “So over-exaggerated, as always, clickbait.”
When asked if he would prohibit dogs from his dining establishments entirely, he responded: “Dogs are welcome outside and on the terrace of the restaurant.”
In the comments of one of @gizzellecade’s videos, which has more than 20 million views, social media users have criticized the restaurant manager for seemingly permitting the use of the training pad inside.
“So disrespectful to those eating,” one wrote, while another added: “I’m a dog owner, actually an assistance dog handler too so my dog comes absolutely everywhere with me (not a pet) and this is still a massive NO.”
“Absolutely, I would have walked out without paying,” a third wrote.
The Independent has contacted @gizzellecade and a representative for Ramsay for comment.
In addition to Street Pizza, Ramsay operates more than 90 restaurants worldwide, with his brands including The Gordon Ramsay, Savory Grill, Lucky Cat, Gordon Ramsay Steak and Hell’s Kitchen, which was inspired by his signature reality show.
The chef rose to fame in the late Nineties, revealing his demanding management style in his 1999 BBC documentary, Boiling Point. He brought that persona to reality TV in the 2000s, starring in Hell’s Kitchen and Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares.
In 2005, he began the U.S. version of his Hell’s Kitchen series, where he enlists aspiring chefs to compete in high-pressure challenges. The program was recently renewed for seasons 23 and 24.
Ramsay has been recognized for his fiery temper and harsh criticism for years. In 1998, he infamously ejected prolific critic AA Gill, who died in 2016, from The Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea, London. At the time, the critic worked for The Sunday Times, and Ramsay was angry that the writer had described him as “a failed sportsman who acts like an 11-year-old” in a review of the chef’s previous restaurant, Aubergine.
Ramsay recently reflected on the incident in a Netflix documentary while discussing his treatment by the media, admitting: “I know it was wrong.”
“Critics are important, OK? And constructive criticism is something that we thrive on, but when it becomes personal….” he said in the six-part series, released in February. “When he walked in with Joan Collins, he thought that I wouldn’t have the balls to do anything to him ‘cause he’s sat with the glamorous, amazing Joan Collins.
“And yeah, I couldn’t wait for him to sit down, get the menu, time 20 minutes and ask him to get the hell out of that restaurant. Whether you’re with Joan Collins or sat with the Queen, you’re still going out, mate – you’re not sitting here.”
