Gordon Ramsay in race row for calling top US chef 'f****** black b******'

London, July 15 (ANI): 'Master Chef' judge Gordon Ramsay has been accused of making a racist comment against an Ethiopian-born Chef when he had come to cook at his restaurant alongside other top chefs.

Marcus Samuelsson's shocking claim comes in his new memoir 'Yes, Chef', published in America, where he writes that Ramsay called him a 'f****** black b******' at London's five-star Lanesborough Hotel in 2000.

Samuelsson claimed that Ramsay was irate because he had not named him when asked which chefs he admired, the Daily Mail reported.

The 42-year-old claimed that, when the executive chef handed him the phone, he was shocked to find the Chef screaming on the other side of the phone.

"How the f*** can you come to my f****** city and think you are going to be able to cook without even f****** referring to me? I'm going to make sure you have a f****** miserable time here. This is my city, you hear? Good luck, you f****** black b******," the Chef wrote.

"To be honest, though, only one phrase in his juvenile tirade unsettled me: When he called me a black b******. Actually, I didn't give a f*** about the b****** part. But the black part p***** me off," he wrote.

Meanwhile, Ramsay has strongly refuted the claim saying it is a 'complete fabrication'.

"We're shocked by these completely false and extremely offensive accusations. Gordon has always had an amicable relationship with Mr Samuelsson, even suggesting him as a fellow judge when Master Chef started in the US two years ago," Ramsay's spokesman said.

"We can only think this bizarre denial and these malicious comments have been made in order to garner publicity for Mr Samuelsson's book and therefore we will pursue such actions as we deem appropriate against Mr Samuelsson and his publishers," he said.

Moreover, a source familiar with the case, too, supported 45-year-old Ramsay in his claims.

"Gordon is boiling mad. You can accuse him of many things but not of being a racist. He has worked with, and created hundreds of jobs for people of all races, creeds and colours. He will fight all the way to clear his name," the source said.

Adding to it, the author's claims were further disputed by the hotel's executive chef Paul Gayler, who, according to him, handed over the phone to Samuelsson at Lanesborough hotel.

"I don't remember that at all. I remember Samuelsson but I don't remember him speaking to Ramsay. I don't remember handing the phone to Marcus and saying, "This is Gordon," no," he said. (ANI)