Gordon Ramsay accused of HATE CRIME for joking he cannot stand Cornish people

GORDON Ramsay has been accused of a hate crime after joking that he cannot stand Cornish people.

The celebrity chef, who owns a holiday home in the county, sparked fury with his comments.

Ramsay, 55, told Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Breakfast Show yesterday: “Trust me, I absolutely love Cornwall, it’s just the Cornish I can’t stand.”

When challenged by stand-in host Vernon Kay he refused to apologise, insisting: “I promise I did mean it.”

But the leader of Cornish nationalist party Mebyon Kernow, Dick Cole, said: “I am really disappointed to hear Gordon Ramsay’s divisive comments and his lack of respect for the Cornish people.

“It is shocking he deems it OK to make such a statement that he’d presumably not make about other national or ethnic groups. I sincerely hope he will reflect on his words and apologise.”

In 2014 the government recognised the Cornish as a national minority like the Irish, Scots or Welsh.

And Malcolm Bell, boss of Visit Cornwall, said: “I absolutely love chefs but can’t stand Gordon Ramsay.

“Cornwall is a wonderful place with wonderful people.”

Ramsay was slammed in 2020 for flouting Covid lockdown rules while at his £4.4million property near Rock.

Last month Eden Project cofounder Sir Tim Smit apologised for saying “quite a few” people from Cornwall are “tossers”.

A spokesman for dad-of-five Ramsay said: “Gordon has made these tongue-in-cheek comments many, many times.

Always, very clearly, said in good humour and seen that way by the majority.”