The Big Picture

Gordon Ramsay and Lisa Vanderpump compete in his new FOX series,
Gordon Ramsey’s Food Stars
, a business competition with a $250K prize.
Contestants pitch products, and go through boot camp, with guest judges.
Vanderpump tells Collider in an exclusive interview that the show brings out her competitive side, and praises Ramsay.

Gordon Ramsay is going up against Bravo’s Lisa Vanderpump in Season 2 of FOX’s high-stakes competition series, Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars. The two restaurant titans will each bring their expert knowledge and unique leadership styles to the competition, and in a first-of-its-kind twist, hopeful entrepreneurs will pitch themselves and their products, services, or business ideas to Ramsay and Vanderpump, who will then choose contestants to build their respective teams.

Teams will participate in “Business Bootcamp,” designed to test their tenacity, initiative, perseverance, and ambition as business leaders. With a $250,000 prize, these entrepreneurs will be challenged to run a food or beverage enterprise, including re-marketing a food product, innovating a new product, building brand loyalty, sales pitching, and management. Special guest judges will also evaluate the contestants and provide curated focus groups, customer feedback, profit and loss metrics, and market and corporate feedback.

Vamerpump is busy navigating her multiple restaurants worldwide, along with her media empire that consists of Vanderpump Rules and its subsequent spinoffs, Vanderpump Villa and The Valley. But when the chance to work with Gordon came up, she found a way to incorporate it into her hectic schedule. In an interview with Collider, Vanderpump dished about her experience.

‘Food Stars’ Is a Passion Project for Lisa Vanderpump

Vanderpump has a lot on her plate. In addition to various brand partnerships, she’s an in-demand restaurateur with multiple businesses worldwide. She’s also executive producing multiple reality shows across the Bravo universe and now Peacock and Hulu. Despite the commitment it would take to traveling, Vanderpump says Food Stars was a no-brainer.

“It was difficult timing-wise. I did have to come backward and forward across the Atlantic a couple of times. But I think that really just proved to me how much I wanted to do this,” she tells Collider. “I have the utmost respect for Gordon and the hospitality world because I think what he’s achieved is second to none. He’s iconic as a restaurateur and as a chef. And his branding is very impressive. He’s very smart… it’s very hard to be successful in this business.”

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Lisa Vanderpump and Gordon Ramsay Have Similar Personalities

Ramsay is known for his ability to make grown men cry. He manages with a sharp tongue. Vanderpump isn’t known for the same, but she says they do have similar personalities, it’s just that their management styles differ. Watching the show, fans may find commonality in their sense of humor. “Our sense of humor is just like is not for the faint-hearted,” she tells Collider firmly. “I think we are way more aggressive in England than in America. We’re not nearly as sensitive. We give each other a really hard time.”

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Outside their shared comedic timing, Vanderpump says they share similarities in being business-minded. “We’re both very dedicated, and we’re both very disciplined, and I respect that enormously. And we’re both very kind of focused, for sure.”

Gordon Ramsay Brought Out ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Alum’s Competitive Side

Vanderpump may be a beast in business, but she’s never viewed herself as being someone competitive. That was until she worked on Food Stars. She says when some of the contestants chose Gordon over her, it fueled a fire in her; she never knew was there.

“I didn’t realize I was as competitive as I was, and I don’t know if that was just about beating him because I’ve never looked at other women as big competition,” she reflects. “When I was on TheHousewives, I never tried to be or think I was better than them. I think everybody should just concentrate on being the best they can be…I was never trying to put somebody down and attack them and to make myself look better. I thought, ‘I want to be the best fucking Lisa Vanderpump I could be.’ And I think Gordon’s like that as well.”

Tune in to an all-new episode of Gordon Ramsay Food Stars on Wednesday, May 29, on FOX at 9:00 pm EST. Watch the full video interview with Vanderpump above and on Collider’s YouTube channel.

Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars airs every Wednesday on FOX. Next-day streaming is available on Hulu.

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