‘Kitchen Nightmares’ Ending: Gordon Ramsay Confirms News

Kitchen Nightmares is over.

The news was confirmed Monday (June 23) by none other than Gordon Ramsay himself in a post on his website, according to Variety.

The industry news source said the series would end its run in both the United States and Ramsay’s native United Kingdom, where it originally aired before hopping the pond to America.

“The cooking reality show premiered in the U.K. in 2004 and the U.S. rendition bowed on Fox in 2007, featuring Ramsay’s visits to struggling restaurants. The chef would spend one week using his expertise trying to help the owners rehabilitate the business.”

Variety said in its report that Ramsay credited Kitchen Nightmares with launching his career, which now includes shows like Hell’s Kitchen and MasterChef.

E! Online reports that episodes of the show are still being filmed in the U.K. at the present time, according to Ramsay.

E! Online noted that 123 episodes of the series have been filmed.

While Ramsay’s shows have generally been known for his fiery personality and brash style in the kitchen and with competitors, Kitchen Nightmares has specifically been the subject of controversy during its time on the air.

One such controversy involved the suicide of a restaurant owner from New Jersey who leaped from the George Washington Bridge after appearing on the show.

The Inquisitr reported at the time that the restaurant owner was in serious debt well before Ramsay showed up with his Kitchen Nightmares crew to try to help Joseph Cerniglia turn things around.

“I’m financially in trouble — the debt of the restaurant alone is overwhelming. My personal debt — wife, kids, mortgage — that’s a lot of debt,” he moaned on the show.

“I owe my purveyors about $80,000 right now in cold, hard cash… I can’t see us going on another year.”

Even in spite of Cerniglia’s suicide and Ramsay’s brash personality, the show continued to gain a huge following in recent years.

Variety reports that the show allowed Ramsay to not only use his expertise in the kitchen to help restaurant owners, but he was able to use other skill sets, as well.

“The format allowed Ramsay to show off his restauranteur bona fides as well as his attempts at family and couples counseling. Last year, the show hit its peak of pop culture buzz with an episode revolving around an Scottsdale, Ariz. eatery, Amy’s Baking Company, run by an over-the-top couple who produced plenty of Internet-friendly viral vid moments.”

There is no word on when the final episodes of Kitchen Nightmares currently in production may broadcast in the United States.

[Image via Flickr Creative Commons]