This makes our earlier story stronger that for some weird ratings mania Channel Nine and the ACA team especially attacked one of the networks top rating shows personality with what is now looking like a mostly incorrect statement that Gordon Ramsay slandered Tracy Grimshaw by calling her a “Lesbian” in front of a crowd of the faithful at the Melbourne Food Festival. It has been proven by multiple witnesses and other media that this is not the case, yes Gordon Ramsay did make fun of Tracy Grimshaw which obviously was a low blow but the primary driving and sensational reason for Tracy Grimshaw’s vigorous and aggressive attack on Gordon Ramsay was that she stated he called her a “Lesbian” and in her own words she is most certainly not.

A great deal of Channel Nines airtime has now been wasted and also it appears the news staff also have reported upon this as a victory now that Gordon Ramsay has apologised. But why are we so obsessed with Gordon’s language, is this not one of the reasons why people flock to see his shows? Gordon is a great chef, but really he is better known for his wordy if not colourful quips and mannerisms. We all seem to watch “Kitchen Nightmares” and flock around the water cooler or at the local coffee shop to chat about the previous night’s episode, we accept the language as it is used in context. Maybe there is a little more language added for effect but if Australia and the world have been upset by this then the show would not work and be off the air. Channel Nine even defended the show after its initial and subsequent seasons, which begs us to wonder why this attack was kept up.

And our Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had to put his 2 cents worth into this as the advocate for all, why? What could possibly be his political drive here, perhaps he is now going to censor what Australian want to view or even say. I myself do not swear (as much as possible) in earshot of females, but Gordon Ramsay is from a country where the dropping of the F – Bomb is not generally offensive, it is a common part of the language.

When this is all reviewed it reminds me of Brendan Behams quotation that in the theatrical or television industry “There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary” and I think history will prove this to be true for both Channel Nines ACA program and Gordon Ramsays’ continuing adventures.

Apparently at the Melbourne Food Festival (Melbourne Australia) during one of the chef presentations Gordon Ramsay has been accused of apparently calling Tracy Grimshaw (from Channel Nine’s A Current Affair program) a “lesbian” as the excerpt from the AAP article below shows. Why not have a read and then I will continue?

From Internet article resulting from interview with Ms Grimshaw

June 9 2009

Tracy Grimshaw slams Gordon Ramsay over ‘lesbian’ jibe

They’ve never been friends. He’s an “arrogant narcissist” and a bully. And no, she’s not gay. So says Tracy Grimshaw, host of the Nine Network’s A Current Affair program, who has hit back after being publicly denigrated by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay in Melbourne on Saturday. Before an audience of several thousand people at the Melbourne Good Food and Wine Show, following an interview with Grimshaw the previous day, Ramsay described her as “a lesbian”. He then showed a picture of a woman, who appeared naked. The woman was posed on her hands and knees but had multiple breasts and the facial features of a pig. “That’s Tracy Grimshaw,” he said. “I had an interview with her yesterday, holy crap. She needs to see Simon Cowell’s Botox doctor.” Ramsay’s publicist later said the comments were a joke and that Ramsay and Grimshaw had a good relationship. Ramsay made further digs at the A Current Affair host in his appearances at the show on Sunday and yesterday. Grimshaw was having none of it, returning fire with a withering editorial during her show last night. She said Ramsay and his publicist asked before her interview that she not ask about his private life – Ramsay’s image has taken a battering after an alleged extra-marital affair made headlines earlier this year. “… Gordon Ramsay made me promise not to ask on Friday about his private life. He then got on stage on Saturday and made some very clear and uninformed insinuations about mine,” Grimshaw told viewers. “Obvious Gordon thinks that any woman who doesn’t find him attractive must be gay. “For the record, I don’t. And I’m not.” Grimshaw told Fairfax Radio today that the personal attack upset her and her mother. “It upset my mother and when you upset my mother you upset me,” she said. This contributed to her decision to respond. “Mum was upset for me, she was upset that someone would attack me like that so I thought, dammit, I’ll have a bit of a crack back at him,” she said. The comments were no joke, she said last night. “Truly, I wonder how many people would laugh if they were effectively described as an old, ugly pig,” she said. Grimshaw said she had considered not responding to Ramsay’s comments. “But we all know that bullies thrive when no one takes them on, and I’m not going to sit meekly and let some arrogant narcissist bully me.” She said she had no idea what prompted Ramsay’s spray. “Gordon Ramsay has always had fair and generous treatment on this program but, despite what his publicist said in damage control, we do not have a great relationship. We do not have a relationship at all,” she said. “I’ve played along with him in interviews because it’s entertaining, and that’s my job, and I walk away afterwards and I don’t think about him again.” Grimshaw told Fairfax Radio she did not expect an apology from Ramsay. “I don’t want one, I don’t care – there’s nothing more he can do to me now and he can’t make it better,” she said. “I’m not interested in speaking to the bloke again – I can’t imagine any circumstances where I would want to interview him again.” AAP

I find this interesting that channel Nine is the only television network appears to have any level of interest in this story, this smacks of a ratings grab for attention.
It would be normal that if any professional media or otherwise was too had been slandered in this manner they would have taken swift legal action against Gordon Ramsay. As for the ACA programs airing of exclusive behind the scenes bad behaviour, what went to air appeared to be out of context moments and thanks to Tivo I was able to watch many of the sections over which made me sure that there is no substance to this beat up.

You know Australians are renowned for their sense of humour and ability to laugh at themselves, this is one instance where the Nine network need to take a good look at themselves. If there has never been a showing of the ACA program that has never made fun or light of anyone, be an Aussie and take it on the chin and perhaps just give a smart quip back next time.

A short podcast of Sunday Drinker’s wine tasting review.

Duration : 0:2:16

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Duration : 0:2:15

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