'Cheating' Gordon Ramsay cashes in on family man image with ad campaign featuring wife Tana and his four children
By
Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 7:06 PM on 01st December 2008
Gordon Ramsay's family may have been rocked by claims of his infidelity, but it wasn't enough to stop the airing of a money-spinning television campaign featuring Tana and the couple's four children.
The advert, filmed prior to allegations he had a seven year affair, shows the Ramsays as a picture of harmony as they promote his Taste of Christmas appearance at Excel London this week.
His children Megan, twins Jack and Holly, and Matilda are seen decorating a tree while Gordon reels off a huge shopping list to his wife.
The prospect of blissful Christmas seems unlikely for the family and Tana has reportedly pulled the plug on a £50,000 Christmas family holiday in Mauritius in the wake of the claims.
Happy family: Tana Ramsay and the couple's four children appear in Gordon's Taste of Christmas TV campaign
However, the advertisement continues to air despite the scandal, in yet another sign Gordon is determined to ride out the controversy.
Yesterday he even made made light of the allegations.
But during a live cooking performance, Ramsay said: 'Come on though, if I was really going to cheat it wouldn't be with a complete slapper.'
He continued the joke, saying: 'It's true, I confess, I have been *****ing Delia for the past ten years and Mark Sergeant (his right-hand man) is our love child.'
'Family man': Gordon discuss the family's Christmas shopping list in the ad
His denials came as further details about his alleged infidelity appeared in the News of The World.
Miss Symonds said Ramsay, who is married to Tana, 33, also cheated with a second lover and a woman he met through his Hell's Kitchen TV show.
'Not only has he been cheating on Tana with me but he told me he had another regular mistress in Denmark. He said she is a writer and is married too. They'd met after he'd done a book signing over there and that they'd had sex after that and continued from there.
Domestic bliss: The Ramsays decorate their family tree in the clip
'He also told me he'd had sex with a girl after a Hell's Kitchen wrap party. He told me that it was a one-nighter four years ago in LA.
'I was his confidante - more than a mistress. He even called me his soulmate. I was happy with that.'
Miss Symonds, 38, said Ramsay introduced her to his wife and he enjoyed using the legal sex drug amyl nitrate or 'poppers'.
'Gordon has his PR team working round the clock, trying desperately to protect Brand Ramsay and this image of him as the ultimate family man.
'But he's a complete hypocrite and I can't believe he's been getting away with it for so long.'
Riding through the storm: Gordon and wife Tana Ramsay leaving their south London home yesterday after it emerged the television chef has been joking about his alleged infidelity
The pair met at Chinawhite nightclub in London, in 2001, she said. 'When he asked for my number I gladly gave it to him even though I knew he was married from the publicity he'd done.
'He started calling me often. His marriage was unhappy.'
They had sex for the first time two months later, she claimed.
The affair allegedly continued even though Miss Symonds moved to Los Angeles at the end of 2003.
They broke up in 2006 but got back together in August 2007, she claims. The pair last had a sexual encounter last month, when they were both photographed at a leading London hotel, she added.
But their relationship broke down because he was afraid his wife might stumble on her texts.
At the BBC Good Food Show, in Birmingham, yesterday, the chef, 42, who fronted a show called Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, joked: 'I was watching television last night and tuned into a new show on Channel 4. It was called Gordon Ramsay's Bedroom Nightmares.'
No stopping him: Gordon shook off the rumours and gave this lady a kiss during his book signing at the BBC Good Food Show
Referring to diaries written during the alleged relationship, Symonds spoke of how Ramsay thrived on risk-taking. Early in the reported seven-year relationship, she had been invited to the opening of his restaurant at The Connaught hotel, where he introduced her to his wife.
'I felt very awkward when he introduced me to Tana. He also introduced me to the chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and jokily told him, ‘Watch out, she’s dangerous’. "
Symonds reveals she too threatened the secrecy of their affair that night: 'At one point in the evening, I called Gordon "big boy" because he is very well endowed—and he told me to keep my voice down.'
Hug it out: Gordon cuddles up to a happy customer at the BBC Good Food Show
Symonds claimed the risk-taking extended to very public phone sex, telling of an occasion this year when Ramsay was travelling on a busy Eurostar train from Paris.
Despite fellow passengers recognising and approaching Ramsay throughout the journey, Symonds claims that she had phone sex with the chef for nearly the whole journey.
'It lasted for well over an hour. It was particularly dirty phone sex and involved pictures. I thought we should not be doing it because it was too dangerous,' revealed the Welsh-born blonde.
Professional mistress: Sarah Symonds
Given his busy schedule and transatlantic work commitments, phone sex remained a key part of the relationship.
Despite the fact that Ramsay and his wife continued to promote a healthy family image (they had just had their fourth child), Symonds told of how she continued her relationship with the chef, even after a move to Los Angeles in 2003.
Following the move, Symonds said that she found it easier to spend time with Ramsay, who had begun filming the US version of Hell's Kitchen.
Speaking from her diaries she said: 'Towards the end of 2004, I spent the night with Gordon in his room at the W hotel in Beverly Hills - but we were always worried we’d be spotted. Gordon told me he was planning to rent a house in LA and be here more long term because the TV show was going well - and that meant I could stay with him more regularly.'
Their affair cooled however, following an argument later that month. She revealed a row escalated after she questioned him over reports that Ramsay had hit a contestant on the set of Hell’s Kitchen.'
It would be two years before they were to see each other again, and it was during this period that Miss Symonds would have an affair with another married man, and write her now infamous book.
Show of solidarity: Gordon and Tana Ramsay have denied Sarah Symonds' allegations of an affair
In the book she even refers to her relationship with Ramsay, albeit anonymously. It read: 'A friend was having an affair with a world-famous TV chef, well-known on both sides of the Atlantic for both his bad language and his good food.'
It was August 2007 when Symonds claims their paths crossed again on a US talk show. On this occasion it was she who initiated contact, calling his LA PA to leave a message for him. 'He called me back and we had a lovely chat. He was with his family at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
'He could only talk because Tana and the kids were out with the Beckhams at a water park.'
She says he asked that she send him a photo to his BlackBerry. After doing so, she claims the chef replied 'F*** me, you look really great. Got to see you again.'
Over the next few weeks, Symonds claims the couple would speak on the phone frequently, eventually meeting again that November at her LA apartment.
'We had a wonderful night,' she said. 'We talked about my book and discussed spin-off projects. 'He thought I was sassy and clever and wanted to mentor me. I was flattered. When he leaned over to kiss me, it was very natural. He wanted to take his time and was very loving. We got into bed like an old married couple.'
The relationship then continued in earnest, so it comes as little surprise that Ramsay would make efforts to hide their trysts.
Symonds talked of how she had to leave the room when Ramsay spoke to Tana to wish her goodnight, and again when his wife would call to wake him in the morning.
Sarah Symonds on the Oprah Winfrey Show promoting her book 'Having An Affair? A Handbook For The Other Woman'
She also claims that before leaving, Ramsay gave her a gift of £1,000. She says that he know she was struggling financially, and that he had wanted to help her at Christmas.
It was not until November this year that Symonds' opinion of Ramsay would begin to sour. 'Gordon had called me earlier in November. He said his birthday was coming up and asked for a special present involving sex.
However, while awaiting his arrival, she saw a television commercial featuring Ramsay and his family. 'It seemed so hypocritical. I started to see him for what he is - a bit of a bastard,' she said.
Despite Ramsay's insistence that the relationship did not take place at all, Symonds remains firm: 'Gordon and I have had sex at least seven times. We have met up at least 18 times. He’s phoned me hundreds of times over the last seven years. I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve had phone sex'
To accusations that she targets married men, she continued: 'I’m not attracted to married men. I’m attracted to successful, charismatic, high-powered men.
'Unfortunately they’re usually married. But in this case not only has he been cheating on his wife with me, he’s been cheating on me with another mistress too. He’s a serial f*****g cheat!'
'I’ve been Gordon Ramsay’s dirty little secret. I’ve kept his secret and covered for him for all that time, but not any more.'
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I have just one question for this person..How low can you sink and still have any self respect?
I cannot understand why this woman is doing and saying this. Symonds should be shut upped
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