Hell's Kitchen Star Gordon Ramsay aims playful Thanksgiving jab at Bobby Flay in an ongoing chef rivalry

Gordon Ramsay marked Thanksgiving with a pointed and humorous message aimed at fellow chef Bobby Flay, continuing a rivalry that has now spanned more than a decade.

The Hell’s Kitchen star posted a carousel of images on Instagram on November 27, sharing a list of people he was thankful for before ending with a final slide labeled “Not him,” placed over a photo of Flay.

The post immediately drew reactions from followers who recognized the latest entry in a long-running exchange of jabs between the two celebrity chefs.

How the Hell’s Kitchen figure kept the rivalry alive

Ramsay’s Thanksgiving post began with a simple declaration written across a selfie: 

“Things I’m thankful for.”

He followed it with a photo of his wife, Tana Ramsay, captioned: 

“My amazing wife.”

Showing Ramsay alongside three of his six children, a second family photo continued with:

“My incredible kids,”

He then shifted from family to friends, adding snapshots with Guy Fieri and David Beckham under the caption: 

“Great friends.”

The next slide acknowledged the mentors he shares the screen with on Next Level Chef.  Posing in a picture with Carla Hall and Candace Nelson, he wrote, 

“My amazing baking mentors.”

The final image delivered the moment that ignited comments across social media. Over a picture of Bobby Flay, Ramsay wrote, 

“Not him.”

The blunt humor echoed the rapport he and Flay have maintained over the years, with followers immediately recognizing the continuation of their ongoing rivalry.

One commenter wrote, 

“The Bobby Flay plot twist took me out. Happy Thanksgiving, Chef!”

Another added,

“Bobby catching strays.”

Others noted the tradition of friendly roasting between the two chefs, calling the final slide “so funny.”

The post also drew reactions from colleagues. Guy Fieri responded directly beneath the photo carousel, writing, 

“happy Thanksgiving brutha!!”

Fans echoed the sentiment with variations of laughter and disbelief, many referencing the final slide as the highlight of the sequence.

Ramsay and Flay’s rivalry began publicly in 2013, when Ramsay challenged Flay to a cook-off during appearances on various talk shows.

Flay did not accept, leading to years of teasing remarks that became a recurring theme among fans.

Although the exchange has captured public attention, both chefs have clarified that their interactions remain friendly at their core.

In a 2023 interview, Ramsay described an unexpected encounter with Flay the night before the Super Bowl while dining at Chris Bianco’s Pizzeria in Arizona. He recalled, 

“I was sat in Chris Bianco’s Pizzeria in Arizona on Saturday night with some friends, and Paul Rudd was behind me—I was talking to him. This guy came up and put his hands on my shoulder. I turned around and it was Bobby Flay, Uncle Bobby.” He added, “We were sat in the same restaurant. We shared a pizza [and] had a good catch-up.”

The Hell’s Kitchen star has long incorporated humor into his social media presence and public persona.

The back-and-forth between the two chefs has historically been provoked on an intermittent basis, frequently due to sarcastic remarks in interviews or appearances and not necessarily through direct responses on social media.

The Thanksgiving post is another addition to the existing rivalry story, a narrative that balances good-natured mocking with the public image that he has created during decades of cooking contests and reality television.

Their longevity as a result of their rivalry is an indication of the long-lasting influence of the two chefs in the culinary entertainment scene.

Stay tuned for more updates.