Gordon Behind Bars facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gordon Behind Bars |
|
|---|---|
| Directed by | Helen Simpson |
| Starring | Gordon Ramsay |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Tim Whitwell, Sue Murphy |
| Producer(s) | Jaemie Gallie, Vari Innes |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) | One Potato Two Potato (An all3media Limited Company) |
| Release | |
| Original network | Channel 4 |
| Original release | 26 June – 17 July 2012 |
Gordon Behind Bars was a British TV show starring famous chef Gordon Ramsay. In this series, Gordon Ramsay went into Brixton Prison in London. His goal was to teach people in prison how to cook. He also wanted to help them start a real business selling food. The show had four episodes and was shown on Channel 4 from June to July 2012.
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Gordon Ramsay's Mission in Brixton Prison
Gordon Ramsay is a very famous chef from the UK. He has even earned special awards called Michelin Stars for his cooking. For six months, from December 2011 to June 2012, Ramsay spent time inside Brixton Prison.
His main goal was to teach the people there how to cook. But it wasn't just about cooking tasty food. He also wanted to help them learn how to run a real business. This business would sell the food they made inside the prison to people outside. The idea was to give them new skills for when they left prison.
The Bad Boys' Bakery Project
After getting some training from Gordon Ramsay, the cooks in Brixton Prison formed a business. They called it "Bad Boys' Bakery." Their slogan was "Life Changing Taste."
At first, they sold a special lemon treacle tart that Ramsay helped create. Later, they changed it to a lemon treacle slice. Gordon Ramsay worked hard to get their products into shops. He managed to make a deal for a trial. This meant 100 of their lemon treacle slices would be sold in 11 Caffè Nero coffee shops. These shops were all in South London.
The project was quite successful! By September 2017, the tarts were still being sold in 15 different Caffè Nero locations. There were even plans to sell them in 190 locations across London. This showed that the bakery was making a real difference.
The Cooks of the Bakery
When the program started, twelve people were chosen to be the first cooks. However, by the end of the TV series, five of these original cooks had left the program.
To keep the bakery going, five new people joined the program in the fourth episode. After Gordon Ramsay finished filming, five more people were recruited to continue the work.
Original Cooks and Their Journeys
Here's a look at some of the people who were part of the original twelve cooks:
| Inmate Cook | Notes |
|---|---|
| Anthony Kelly | After leaving prison, he worked for the St Giles Trust. This group helps people who have been in prison get back on their feet. He also started training to be a stage actor. |
| Andrew Insley | He was released from prison and got a job at a London restaurant called Roast. |
| Tesfa Jones | After his release, he had a successful tryout at Gordon Ramsay's famous Savoy restaurant. |
| Paul Wyatt | He also had a successful tryout at Ramsay's Savoy restaurant after leaving prison. However, he later lost that job. |
| Adonis McQuitta | He was released from prison. |
| Daniel Guwaza | |
| Hassan Nour | |
| David Jones | |
| Inmate Cook #12 ("B") |
The face of one of the original cooks was kept private during the show. No details about him were shared, and Ramsay called him "B". |
| Jerome Samuels | He was removed from the program after being accused of being rude to a female officer. He was later moved to a different, higher-security prison. |
| Rene Smith | Gordon Ramsay asked him to leave the program. This happened after he had an argument with Ramsay's assistant, Gee Charman. |
| Lawrence Gibbons | Gordon Ramsay also asked him to leave the program. This was after he had an argument with another cook, Rene Smith. |
Challenges During Filming
Making a TV show inside a prison came with its own challenges. Gordon Ramsay mentioned that sometimes arguments would break out. He said, "I was standing close by one bloke with another opposite me, and then this guy lunged over and went to headbutt him. I had to sort it out."
Gordon Ramsay's wife was also worried about his safety during filming. She even told him to take self-defence classes to be prepared.
Idea for a US Version
Gordon Ramsay thought the idea of "Gordon Behind Bars" could work in America too. He personally suggested making an American version to Kevin Reilly at Fox Broadcasting. However, Kevin Reilly decided not to go ahead with it. He explained that Fox already had many shows starring Gordon Ramsay on TV at that time.
