Marcus Wareing has reportedly quit Gordon Ramsay’s upcoming TV show.
The Kitchen Nightmares star, 59, and Marcus Wareing, 56, spent years clashing over a bitter business dispute in 2008 about the lease of the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Pétrus at The Berkeley hotel.
However, after burying the hatchet, the pair were planning to work together on a new cooking programme for BBC Two.
But ahead of filming, which was scheduled to begin in September, Wareing has sensationally quit, according to reports.
The Masterchef star reportedly told executives he no longer wants to take part in the programme.
A source told The Sun: ‘Sadly, the format has already fallen apart. Last week, Marcus told the producers he didn’t want to do it anymore, leading to the show being halted.
‘It’s a shame as there was so much excitement about the reunion. It all feels pretty final, but the BBC could try to rescue it in another way.
‘They liked the concept and the talent involved.’
It’s unclear why the chef has quit the show, but an insider claimed he didn’t fall out with Ramsay.
Marcus appeared excited for the show, which will explore ‘extraordinary human stories’, previously telling The Sun: ‘This is a fantastic opportunity to work alongside Gordon again.
‘It’s been many years since we last shared a kitchen, and I can’t wait to get started.
‘I’m really looking forward to unwrapping the memories from our cooks and taking them on a journey down memory lane.’
A timeline of Marcus and Gordon’s feud
1993-2003:
- Wareing joins Ramsay as his chief lieutenant at the launch of Ramsay’s Aubergine restaurant in London.
- He then becomes head chef at the two-Michelin-starred Pétrus at the Berkeley Hotel.
2008:
- The lease on the Pétrus restaurant at the Berkeley Hotel comes up for renewal. Maybourne Hotel Group opts to offer the lease directly to Wareing rather than Ramsay’s holding company.
- Ramsay’s company hires lawyers to fight the move, but Wareing eventually secures the lease.
- Wareing gives a tell-all interview making aggressive remarks about Gordon, later admitting that he picked the the fight to step out of Gordon’s shadow.
2009-2021:
- The pair scaracely speak apart from a chance encounter at 10 Downing Street during the 2012 London Olympics.
2023-2026:
- In new interviews, Wareing claims that their rift is now ‘water under the bridge’ and he praises him for his foundational role in his career.
- In 2026, the pair officially bury the hatchet and announce a collaborative new BBC Two television project.
In 2023, Marcus claimed that his feud with Gordon was ‘the best thing that ever happened to both of us’.
However, he did previously reveal during an interview with Weekend Magazine in 2011: ‘Gordon verbally kicked the s*** out of you. Then he would buy you a beer. He put me through mental torture.
‘I’d be first in in the morning, and I’d lock up at night. All day, there’d be Gordon being Gordon. It’s a wonder we all survived.’
The friction escalated when Marcus, who had worked as Ramsay’s head chef, decided to launch his own independent venture at the location once Ramsay’s contract expired.
Since then Marcus has been a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals since 2014, making this his 12th year on the show.
Metro has contacted the BBC, Gordon Ramsay, and Marcus Wareing for comment.