Gordon Ramsay doesn’t tolerate spills in his kitchen, but he was well prepared for one he recently took off his bike. The 57-year-old Hell’s Kitchen host put up a PSA of sorts on Saturday after a bicycle ride went awry, advocating for helmet use to prevent serious injury, reports USA Today. “This week I had a bad accident while riding my bike” in Connecticut, the celebrity chef posted on social media, explaining in an accompanying video that the incident “really shook me.”
Although Ramsay said that he’s “doing OK” and “did not break any bones or suffer any major injuries,” he noted he was “a bit bruised up looking like a purple potato”—a visual he illustrated by lifting up his chef’s jacket to show a nasty dark bruise spread across his torso. The shaken chef (the Guardian notes his hands were actually shaking in the video) also thanked the staff at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital for treating him, adding he was “most thankful for my helmet that saved my life.”
He included a photo of the smashed-up helmet in his social media post, noting he wouldn’t “be here now” without it. He said he remained “in pain” after the “brutal” week he’s had, but he didn’t let up on the helmet advocacy. “You’ve got to wear a helmet,” he insisted. “I don’t care how short the journey is. I don’t care the fact that these helmets cost money … they’re crucial.” He added: “Honestly, I’m lucky to be here.”
