Falkirk residents demand apology from Gordon Ramsay
Furious Falkirk residents demand an apology from Gordon Ramsay after TV chef called the town a ‘s***hole’ on new BBC quiz show
- Gordon Ramsay trashed Falkirk on episode of new BBC One quiz Bank Balance
- Provost of Falkirk is demanding an apology over the ‘foul-mouthed statement’
- The Provost William Buchanan said locals were ‘extremely angry and upset’
Gordon Ramsay has upset the residents of a Scottish town after branding the area a ‘s***hole’ on television.
The 54-year-old chef, who was born in Renfrewshire, referred to the town of Falkirk as a ‘s***hole’ on an episode of his new BBC One quiz Bank Balance.
The Provost of Falkirk is now demanding an apology from the chef over his ‘disgraceful, foul-mouthed statement.’
Provost William Buchanan said locals were ‘extremely angry and upset’, adding: ‘How dare you castigate Falkirk in front of millions of people on television?’
Gordon Ramsay called the town a ‘s***hole’ on an episode of his new BBC One quiz Bank Balance
When a contestant referred to Falkirk as one of the ‘five cities in Scotland’, Ramsay replied: ‘I was born in Scotland. Falkirk is not a city. It’s a s***hole, I swear to God.’ Pictured, Falkirk town centre
The BBC show kicked off at the end of February and sees two teams of contestants answer questions in an attempt to accrue gold bars, which are balanced on a see-saw, in the hope of winning a jackpot £100,000.
When a contestant referred to Falkirk as one of the ‘five cities in Scotland’, Ramsay replied: ‘I was born in Scotland. Falkirk is not a city. It’s a s***hole, I swear to God.’
But his comments sparked outrage among locals.
The Provost of Falkirk William Buchanan has now written to Mr Ramsay demanding an apology.
Mr Buchanan made a formal complaint to the BBC and said he wants Gordon Ramsay to apologise on screen for the comment he made about Falkirk.
Mr Buchanan wrote: ‘The people of this district, including myself as their Provost, are extremely angry and upset at your disgraceful, foul-mouthed statement on national television…where you slated our wonderful, historic town and called it a s***hole.
‘How dare you castigate Falkirk in front of millions of people on television?
‘I would ask you to give an apology for this statement which has offended so many people, not just those from the Falkirk area.
Provost William Buchanan said locals were ‘extremely angry and upset’, adding: ‘How dare you castigate Falkirk in front of millions of people on television?’
‘I have also contacted the BBC to find out if they are going to be taking any action against you and whether there will be an opportunity for you in a future programme to apologise unreservedly.’
He also reminded the celeb chef about the town’s motto, ‘Better meddle wi’ the de’il than the Bairns o’ Falkirk.’
The 72-year-old added: ‘I thought his comments were disgraceful. I received a number of calls from people asking what I was going to do about it.
‘I contacted the BBC on the first instance looking to get a hold of him and at the weekend I sent a letter to their HQ in Darlington as advised.
‘I’m looking for an apology from the BBC and Gordon Ramsay on screen, I understand a lot of shows will be pre-recorded so an apology at the beginning or end of the show is the outcome I’m looking for.
‘We live in a democratic society where everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but the way it came across on national television was shocking.
‘The residents of Falkirk deserve an apology and it’s incumbent for someone to address what was said. If you let remarks like this slide, how far will he go?’
The BBC has been approached for comment.
Giant horses, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, serial killers and doctors smuggling corpses: The history of Falkirk
Falkirk is home to The Kelpies, the largest equine sculptures in the world
Falkirk is a town in Scotland’s central belt, located between Edinburgh and Glasgow in the Forth Valley.
The area boasts some attractions including The Kelpies, The Helix, The Falkirk Wheel, Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway, the Antonine Wall, and The John Muir Way.
Landmarks include the Antonine Wall, which snaked for some 37 miles across the country from the River Clyde to the River Forth.
Built by the Romans around AD142 as the north west frontier of their Empire, the wall is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Substantial lengths of the Antonine Wall can still be seen at various sites across the Falkirk area and ramblers are invited to enjoy walks along the remains of the wall.
Another historical site is Blackness Castle, which was built in the 15th century by one of Scotland’s most powerful families, the Crichtons, as a garrison fortress and state prison.
Falkirk is also home to The Kelpies, the largest equine sculptures in the world.
The two 30-metre-high horse head sculptures, standing at 100ft tall and weighing more than 300 tonnes each, were created by artist Andy Scott.
They represent the lineage of the heavy horse of Scottish industry and economy, pulling the wagons, ploughs, barges and coalships that shaped the geographical layout of Falkirk.
The two 30-metre-high horse head sculptures stand at 100ft tall and weigh more than 300 tonnes each
The Falkirk Tunnel, created nearly 200 years ago for transporting coal, today connects Falkirk to the heart of Edinburgh.
The tunnel is 630 meters long, 18ft-wide, 19ft-high and has a 5ft-wide towpath.
During the construction of the tunnel, two men named Burke and Hare relocated from Ireland to Scotland in a bid to be involved in the building work.
The pair went on to kill 16 people during their time in Scotland and provided their bodies for medical experiments.
The canal was also used by doctors to smuggle the corpses of patients to Edinburgh University, hiding the bodies in containers labelled as industrial chemicals.
Sources: Visit Scotland, Visit Falkirk
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