Watch Gordon Behind Bars

Gordon Behind Bars is a four-part British television series featuring celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay as he ventures behind bars to teach inmates cooking skills. The show is produced by Channel 4 in partnership with the The Learning Connexion and the National Skills Academy for Hospitality.

In the show, Ramsay seeks to promote rehabilitation and provide a new skill set to a group of inmates in Brixton Prison, one of the country's most grotty and overcrowded jails. Given the task of creating a cookery school in the heart of the prison, Ramsay is joined by a team of expert chefs, who help him to mentor the inmates and guide them through the process of creating and serving food.

Throughout the four-part series, Ramsay takes the inmates through various challenges, teaching them to cook a range of cuisine from classic British dishes to more complex continental creations. The series also highlights the harsh reality of prison life, as Ramsay is given a glimpse into the inmates' everyday struggles and obstacles. There are moments of tension and frustration as inmates and guards alike display resistance towards Ramsay's presence and the idea of teaching cooking skills to prisoners.

Despite the challenges, Ramsay never loses sight of his goal, and with the help of his team, manages to create a state-of-the-art cookery school and training programme for the inmates. By the end of the series, the audience sees firsthand the impact that this project has had on the inmates' lives, as they graduate from the programme with newfound skills and a sense of purpose.

One of the key themes of the show is the idea of rehabilitation and second chances. As Ramsay notes in the series, many of the inmates he encounters have developed culinary skills through their illegal activities, such as drug dealing, and the aim of the programme is to provide them with an opportunity to put these skills to constructive use. Ramsay is deeply invested in the project and is often seen advocating for these men, urging the guards and other prison staff to see beyond their past mistakes and give them a chance to reform.

Throughout the series, there are moments of humour, drama, and emotion, as the inmates work to overcome their own personal obstacles and learn to work together as a team. Ramsay's no-nonsense approach and tough love tactics are on full display in the series, as he pushes the inmates to their limits and challenges them to do their best. His passion for cooking is infectious, and it's clear that he truly believes in the transformative power of food.

Overall, Gordon Behind Bars is a powerful and thought-provoking series that highlights the importance of second chances and the potential for rehabilitation in even the most challenging of circumstances. With Ramsay at the helm, the inmates are given an opportunity to learn new skills and gain a sense of purpose and pride in their work. The series is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of food to bring people together.

Gordon Behind Bars is a series that ran for 1 seasons (4 episodes) between June 26, 2012 and on Channel 4