FIERY chef Gordon Ramsay claims he is an old softie now.
He has always been known for his foul-mouthed outbursts on shows such as Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares.
But the 56-year-old reckons he is more caring now that he is older and wiser.
And he says the contestants on his new programme are more feisty than him and have taught him to be kinder.
Next Level Chef, where hopefuls compete for a £100,000 cash prize and one-year mentorship, starts on ITV on Wednesday.
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Gordon said: “I’m even more caring now, because I’m at the age I am. My job is to get the best out of the contestants.
“I’ve learned a level of vulnerability. You forget those insecurities when you haven’t got secure footings and you’re going from job to job struggling to pay bills.
“I’ve always been honest. When it’s great, it’s great, when it’s s**t, it’s s**t.
One thing my mum has always told me was to get straight to the point. They’re feisty, trust me.”
Later in the series dad-of-five Gordon’s 21-year-old daughter Tilly, who starred on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021, will appear alongside him as a guest judge.
Gordon said: “I knew there was something quite special with her growing up from the age of five in the kitchen.
“To watch her grow all of a sudden to see this incredible 21-year-old mature university student.
“And she’s doing some amazing stuff. So that was really exciting for the contestants, they loved it.”
Team GB Paralympian Callum Deboys, 25, is one of those taking part in the show.
Callum, from Prestwick, South Ayrshire, had a motorbike accident in 2017 and woke from a month-long coma with his left leg amputated.
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He is now a Para Nordic skier.