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Gordon Ramsay says he’s ‘proud’ of daughter Tilly for standing up to Steve Allen

‘She is 19 years of age for goodness sake,’ chef said

Peony Hirwani
Thursday 28 October 2021 13:02 BST
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Tilly Ramsay dances a waltz on Strictly Come Dancing

Gordon Ramsay has said that he’s “proud” of his daughter Tilly for standing up against fat-shaming comments made by LBC radio host Steve Allen.

The 54-year-old chef’s remarks come after Allen mocked his 19-year-old daughter’s weight while discussing the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing, in which Tilly participates.

In a clip shared by Tilly, Allen can be heard saying: “Tilly Ramsay is on Celebrity MasterChef Australia, is she? Well she can’t blooming well dance, I’m bored with her already.

“She’s a chubby little thing, isn’t she? Have you noticed? Probably her dad’s cooking I should imagine.”

LBC was hit with 840 Ofcom complaints after Allen’s remarks.

Tilly was quick to respond to Allen’s comments. She wrote on Instagram: “I try not to read and listen to comments and negativity, however recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far.

“Steve, please feel free [to] voice your opinions, however I draw the line at commenting on my appearance. It’s such a shame that someone is trying to make such a positive experience negative.

(PA)

“This isn’t the first and definitely won’t be the last comment made about my appearance and I accept that and I’m learning to accept myself.”

The dancer ended her message by saying “I won’t tolerate people that think it’s okay to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone’s weight and appearance. Love Tilly xx.”

In a recent Instagram live, Gordon supported his daughter, saying: “It made me feel very proud that she stood up and said, ‘I’m not taking this.’”

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He added: “She is 19 years of age for goodness sake – bursting her a**e off and attending university by Zoom and learning the most extraordinary moves with Nikita [Kuzmin].”

He admitted that “it was a breath of fresh air” to see Tilly stand up to Allen, saying: “We’re not going to tolerate that.”

Gordon also discussed his own experiences with food.

“It is a very sensitive issue whether you are a girl or a guy,” he said. “I am someone who has always struggled with their weight. I have to train, we eat all day. I pick, we graze, we are around food 24/7. If we don’t train I’d be 350-400 pounds – so all credit to her.”

According to PA news agency, Allen has issued a private apology to Tilly.

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