Simon Cowell’s ‘harsh’ comment pushed Gordon Ramsay to cosmetic fixes before 60

Gordon was persuaded by none other than Simon Cowell to smooth out some of his famous facial lines (Image: Getty)

Gordon Ramsay, known for his rugged looks and no holds-barred demeanour, has revealed how he was persuaded by none other than Simon Cowell to smooth out some of his famous facial lines after making it big in the United States.

The tough-talking F Word host, who had embraced his natural appearance for years, recently shared with Radio Times that Cowell’s suggestion ultimately led him to undergo a painful cosmetic procedure to fill in the deep grooves on his chin.

“My mother said they were smile lines. I could deal with that at 21, but not at 42,” Ramsay said, recounting his decision.

The dad-of-six, who turned 58 on November 8th, explained that it was Cowell’s advice that pushed him to consider a change.

“Simon Cowell suggested that now I'm a success in America, I should do something, so I had a filler put under the deep crevices. It hurt.”

The procedure, which involves injecting fillers to smooth out wrinkles, can cost up to £400 per session, and experts suggest Ramsay would need at least two or three sessions a year to maintain the look. 

The 58-year-old star admitted to having filler (Image: PA)

Although Ramsay’s spokesperson denied claims of cosmetic work back in 2008, stating, “Gordon would be the first person to mercilessly take the p*** out of anyone that has had surgery,” Ramsay now admits that 65-year-old Cowell’s comment wasn’t the only reason he went under the needle.

The TV chef revealed that his own children played a major role in his decision. Last year, Ramsay recalled how his kids began making him self-conscious about his appearance, even trying to “squeeze pound coins in” to the deep lines on his chin.

Back when he was still growing his family, he addmitted: “I've got four children, and they've become ‘Dad, why have you got so many wrinkles on your face when Clementine's daddy has no wrinkles?’” he said.

“The lines were pretty horrific, like Scarface, and I was never embarrassed by it, but my children helped me become more paranoid about it.”

Adding to the pressure, Ramsay also faced comments from the image-conscious culture in Los Angeles. He shared with Esquire that one makeup artist in LA even asked if he’d been in a car crash as a child. 

Simon encouraged Gordon to get some fixes done to his face (Image: Getty)

“In LA it was all ‘Oh my god, when did you go through the windscreen?’ You put up with it, but then you get f***ing sick of it,” he said, recounting the relentless scrutiny he faced.

Ramsay, married to wife Tana, eventually decided to try a combination of laser and filler treatments to soften the wrinkles on his chin, especially after Cowell’s urging to “get it done, it’ll make you look more…”

The cosmetic procedure took only “four minutes each side” and was done with a laser rather than Botox. Ramsay insisted that no one noticed the change until he mentioned it, adding: “When you don't say anything you're classified as a liar, so you can't win. It's got me more s*** in the past six months…”

Despite this, Ramsay was adamant that he wouldn’t go further with cosmetic procedures. “Am I going to have any more work done? Of course I'm not going to have any more f***ing work done,” he stated firmly. The cosmetic surgeon even told him: “I am not, under any circumstances, ever going to touch that forehead.”