Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is no stranger to heat — whether it’s in the kitchen or the wild. But his latest brush with danger in the frigid waters off Tasmania left even the famously unflappable star shaken. During the filming of a new segment for his upcoming series, Ramsay had a startlingly close encounter with a shark that nearly went disastrously wrong.
According to eyewitnesses, Ramsay was diving near Tasmania’s rugged coastline to explore sustainable seafood practices and Australia’s coastal cuisine when a large shark unexpectedly appeared within meters of the crew. The encounter, which took place in late September, reportedly caught everyone off guard, prompting an immediate and tense retreat to safety.
“Oh my god, that was way too close!” Ramsay was heard shouting as he resurfaced, visibly rattled but unharmed. The production team quickly assisted him back on board, where cameras continued rolling to capture the adrenaline-fueled aftermath.
Crew members described the incident as “one of the scariest moments ever on set.” Though details about the species have not been officially confirmed, marine experts suspect it may have been a great white or a mako shark, both common in Tasmanian waters. Ramsay, who often pushes boundaries in his culinary adventures, later acknowledged the encounter on camera, admitting that “no Michelin star is worth becoming shark bait.”
The frightening experience will reportedly feature in Ramsay’s forthcoming National Geographic and Disney+ series, where he explores the extremes of food sourcing around the world. This isn’t Ramsay’s first brush with danger — he’s previously faced perilous environments, from volcanoes in Iceland to high-altitude cooking in Peru — but this underwater moment may top them all.
Despite the scare, Ramsay has maintained his characteristic humor, joking afterward that “the shark was probably just angry it didn’t get a reservation.” Sources close to the production said the chef insisted on returning to the water the next day, determined to finish filming. Fans have taken to social media to praise Ramsay’s bravery, calling him “fearless,” “mad,” and “the real-life Aquaman of the culinary world.” Others have expressed concern, urging him to take fewer risks while continuing to celebrate his dedication to storytelling beyond the kitchen.
