Kriti Mehrotra
Netflix’s ‘Being Gordon Ramsay’ can only be described as equal parts intriguing and gripping. It follows the celebrity chef as he juggles family life, his global empire, and his biggest launch yet in London, all the while also looking back at his experiences and delving into what made him who he is. He even opened up about his brother, Ronnie Ramsay, and how different his life could be if he hadn’t chosen the culinary path.
Gordon Ramsay Opened Up About His Brother Ronnie Ramsay’s Long Struggle With Addiction
Born in 1968 to Helen Cosgrove and Gordon James Sr. in Johnstone, Scotland, Ronald “Ronnie” Ramsay grew up in a financially unstable environment, as one of four children, facing several struggles. His 15-month elder brother Gordon shared on the show that they weren’t very financially comfortable, further alleging that their father had issues with alcohol abuse. As per him, their mother often had to work three jobs just to keep them afloat for most of their childhood. While the Ramsay children were born in Scotland, they relocated to England around 1975 and spent the ensuing few years trying to find stability on council estates across Warwickshire.
The two brothers shared a room throughout, trying their best to make the most of what they had in a bunk bed and by each other’s comfort space, but things changed as the years passed. While one brother soon found true solace in the culinary world, Gordon has said his brother became addicted to heroin. Ronnie reportedly had a brief career in the British military, but according to his once close brother, his addiction allegedly cut it short before leading him into”a downward spiral.”
According to court records and reports, in 2007, Ronnie found himself in court in Denpasar, Bali, in Indonesia after having been arrested for being in possession of 100mg of heroin, resulting in him being sentenced to 10 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay a fine. As per records, having seen the effects of drugs first hand on his brother is partially what drove Gordon to do ‘Gordon on Cocaine,’ a 2017 documentary that showcases his travels to South and Central America to explore the global cocaine trade. He did so in the hopes that it would encourage his family, especially his kids, to stay away from it. In a podcast, Gordon once said, “The drugs were a consequence of being the blue-eyed boy in the family and then being dropped by your dad.”
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Gordon and his wife of nearly 30 years, Tana, claimed they tried their best to help Ronnie for years by getting him treatment and supporting him through rehab, but to no avail. “In the first few years after we were married, I had this ideal view that I could make Ronnie better,” Tana candidly claimed in an interview with Mail Online. “We took him in. So many times we tried to fix him, then you actually begin to understand the enormity of the issue and that it’s never going to change until it comes from him. He’s not moved on at all.” Gordon said that the entire thing is devastating for him because it often makes him wonder “what if,” but he tries to focus on the present and his current family to ensure he doesn’t waver from his path.
“It’s bizarre, you grow up on a council estate, several council estates and sharing this tiny bedroom,” Gordon said on The Big Fish podcast. “You’re in bunk beds, and you’re so close as brothers… and how one’s life can change dramatically. I’ve got that stern reminder on a daily basis, and I remind myself how different it could have been if I’d gone down a different road and felt that the country owed me something rather than fight for something.” He expressed similar sentiments in the Netflix documentary series as well. As for Ronnie’s current standing, he likely resides in a council flat in Birmingham, England.
As of writing, from what we can tell, he is doing his best to support himself by busking on the streets. He is proud to have two fur babies – pitbulls – but not much else is known about his personal life as he prefers to keep it away from the limelight. On the show, Gordon alleged that Ronnie contacted him in 2025 to ask if he could be the musical performer for his niece Holly Ramsay’s December wedding to Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty, but was denied. Gordon revealed, “It was tough. It still pains me,” before adding that while his adult children have their “own way” of dealing with the situation with their uncle. Gordon stated that he has decided to keep Ronnie’s struggles completely separate from his two youngest sons and “will not” explain anything to them at such a young age; they are 6 and 2 as of writing.
