Gordon Ramsay Defends New Show ‘Uncharted’ From Critics Claiming He Ripped off Anthony Bourdain

Gordon Ramsay is fighting back after critics accused him of ripping off his new show, Uncharted, from the late Anthony Bourdain.

Bourdain was famous for his critically-acclaimed CNN show Parts Unknown, which saw the chef travel to locations around the globe to experience the local cuisine and meet the people who make it.

Ramsay’s upcoming show finds the British chef also traveling to exotic locales to learn about their food, something critics noted in advance of the series.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Ramsay defended the show, commenting that he has been exploring food culture for years and calling Uncharted “a dream come true.”

“God, the feeble warriors that sit in their dungeons and spout negativity without understanding what we’re doing,” the outspoken chef said of his critics. “I’ve been doing assertive, combustial shows since 2006 since I started The F Word — whether it’s diving for giant crab or hanging off a 500-meter cliff chasing puffins. So I’ve been on that level of exploration and understand those cultures. I’m a chef that needs to get motivated by understanding different cultures. I helicoptered into Nagaland 50 kilometers from the Burmese border in Northern India and cooked at a wedding. And in order to get accepted into the wedding, I had to buy a f—ing buffalo. That was 12 years ago.”

Ramsay continued, “Tony Bourdain was a great mate of mine. We were on the red carpet together last year at the Emmys. I think he’d be happy and impressed at [Uncharted‘s] level of jeopardy and jumping into these [places] — Brazil, Peru, Alaska — and sourcing incredible ingredients and then highlighting some of the best [culinary] talent that hasn’t been noticed yet. It’s a dream come true. Judge [Uncharted] when you see it. The research going into [the show] is extraordinary. We’re [airing in] half a billion homes, 177 countries, in 43 different languages. And I can’t wait to make all those bitter, twisted, little, boring truckers who aren’t busy enough in their lives eat their words.”

Uncharted‘s network, National Geographic, also defended the show after it was initially criticized.

“We are disappointed that the announcement of our upcoming series with Gordon Ramsay was taken out of context,” the network said in a statement. “With National Geographic’s storied history of exploration, our plan with this series is to celebrate and learn about local cultures around the world. In partnering with Ramsay — a well-known adventure enthusiast — we are going to fully immerse viewers and give them a glimpse into surprising and unexpected cultures and local flavors.”

According to National Geographic, episodes of Ramsay’s show will end with the chef in competition with the locals after learning about their food culture, with Ramsay “pitting his own interpretations of regional dishes against the tried-and-true classics.”

“The series moves beyond conversation to truly immerse Ramsay in all aspects of the local culture to better prepare him for the final friendly cooking competition with local chefs and foodies,” the network said.

Uncharted premieres on National Geographic in 2019.

Photo Credit: Getty / Neville Elder