Who Is Sarah Symonds, the Woman Alleging a Past Affair With Gordon Ramsay?
Being Gordon Ramsay is a new six-part Netflix documentary series that gives viewers an unusually intimate look at the life of the world-renowned celebrity chef. Premiering on Feb. 18, 2026, the docuseries follows Gordon Ramsay as he tackles one of the most ambitious projects of his career: opening five distinct dining experiences inside London’s 22 Bishopsgate. Meanwhile, he balances his professional empire with the demands of family life alongside his wife, Tana, and their six children. In the wake of the release, Sarah Symonds is alleging that she had a multi-year affair with Gordon. So, who is Symonds? Here’s what to know.
Who is Sarah Symonds? She alleged that she had a multi-year affair with Gordon Ramsay
Netflix’s docuseries, Being Gordon Ramsay, gives fans of the chef an inside look into his life. The series delves into what Gordon Ramsay’s life was like with his wife, Tana Ramsay, and their children, as well as giving insight into the culinary world.
According to Sarah Symonds, a British author from Newport, South Wales, she had a seven-year affair with Gordon — an allegation that Gordon has consistently denied. Symonds wrote Having an Affair?: A Handbook for the “Other Woman.” She also hosted a show called The Mistress from 2012 to 2015, which helped women leave relationships with married men.
According to Symonds, the relationship with Gordon began in 2001 and lasted until 2008, during which she says Gordon led a “double life.” The two allegedly met at Chinawhite in London in October 2001. She was reportedly out with friends when Gordon walked up to her table to speak to her. The chef had just broken into television two years prior.
The chef allegedly portrayed himself as a devoted family man publicly while behaving as though he were single in private. Symonds has criticized Gordon’s new Netflix docuseries Being Gordon Ramsay, accusing it of “whitewashing” his past. She believes the docuseries presents a “misleading and disingenuous” portrayal of him.
“It’s misleading and disingenuous,” she told the Daily Mail regarding the docuseries. “A travesty in fact, as nothing about it was ‘Being Gordon’ at all.”
Symonds also claimed to have trauma from the alleged affair. “I am trying to heal, and then this appears everywhere,” she continued. “It makes me so angry.”
According to Symonds, “Gordon always acted like a single man” who was “always available.”
“He had the swagger and confidence of a man with no responsibilities, and the persona of a man who certainly wasn’t rushing home,” she alleged to the publication.
Symonds noted that she allegedly met up with Gordon in multiple cities, including London, Los Angeles, and Dubai. She also alleged that Gordon would tell her his relationship with his wife, Tana, was rocky.
Sarah Symonds appeared on media platforms to discuss her work as a professional mistress
Aside from the headlines tied to her allegations about Gordon Ramsay, Sarah Symonds has carved out an unusual niche for herself. She describes herself as an “infidelity and relationship expert.” Symonds authored Having an Affair? A Handbook for the Other Woman, a controversial self-help guide drawing on her own experiences as what the British press once labeled a “professional mistress.” And she has appeared on media platforms over the years discussing the dynamics of extramarital relationships.
Her work in the early 2010s included serving as a spokeswoman for the infidelity dating site Ashley Madison’s UK arm, according to The Standard. She openly talked about the “hypocrisy” surrounding adultery and encouraged women to confront or rethink such dynamics. Symonds also founded the Mistresses Anonymous support group aimed at helping women navigate and exit toxic relationships.
Gordon Ramsay has consistently denied having an affair
Gordon Ramsay has consistently denied any affair with Sarah Symonds. He dismissed her allegations as false and maintained that their interactions were minimal. Gordon has publicly insisted he has only met Symonds a handful of times and has rejected her long-standing claims of a seven-year relationship, once bluntly quipping at the BBC Good Food Show that if he had ever cheated, “it wouldn’t be with a complete slapper,” according to The Standard.
In the face of Symonds’s recent criticism of his Netflix series Being Gordon Ramsay as “fake” and “misleading,” the chef’s team has reiterated his stance that the affair never occurred. The documentary itself focuses heavily on his marriage to his wife, Tana, whom he credits as the “foundation” of his success, and on his role as a father to their six children. His denials date back to when the story first emerged in British tabloids in the late 2000s. He and Tana publicly reaffirmed their marriage by renewing their vows in response to the controversy.
