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15th Oct 2024

Gordon Ramsay speaks out about tragic death of his son Rocky

Charlie Herbert

Ramsay said the loss resulted in his family becoming closer as a unit

Gordon Ramsay has opened up about the grief he and his family went through when his wife Tana suffered a miscarriage five months into her pregnancy.

In 2016, Tana experienced a pregnancy loss at 20 weeks. Reflecting on the loss of her son, who they had named Rocky, Tana said he had been “born with a strong heartbeat, but too little to survive.”

In a new interview with People last year, Gordon himself opened up on the heartbreaking period, and said it ended up bringing him and his family closer together.

He said: “There’s no book that guides you through that loss, and so losing Rocky was really tough.

“Watching the trauma unfold, it’s this life-changing moment.”

Three years after the loss of Rocky, the couple welcomed a baby boy named Oscar.

Oscar was their fifth child together. Their other kids are Megan, who is 26, 24-year-old twins Jack and Holly, and Matilda, 22.

And Gordon said that the grief his family felt ended up bringing them closer together, and had it not been for the loss of Rocky, they “wouldn’t have had Oscar.”

He said: “We wouldn’t have had Oscar had we not lost Rocky.

“There was no substitute – far from it – but it brought us a bond that you’d never experience in a normal situation.”

The celebrity chef married Tana in 1996, when he was starting to work his way into the world of fine dining and she was a school teacher.

Since then, Gordon has become one of the most famous chefs in the world, whilst Tana has forged a career in TV and writing.

The Michelin-star chef had nothing but praise for his wife’s resilience in overcoming the loss of their son, saying that his family “wouldn’t be here today” without her strength.

He said: “That’s the power of Tana. Just watching the way that she dealt with it – and opened up with other friends and women in close proximity that could give advice – she was incredibly straight after that.”

He added that their children “get a lot of strength from their mum”, saying: “There’s a lot of things that Tana’s done, that we wouldn’t be here today without that strength.”

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, you can contact the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Association of Ireland’s national support line on (085) 249 6464. 

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