The man must be a good actor if it's a set up. He looks as if he is set for a coronary, and is so thoroughly aggressive and unpleasant you have to wonder why he would choose to appear like this. I believe he would do well either way as he is an acclaimed award winning chef, and I honestly wonder if as many people switch off as switch on when he starts ranting and being abusive.
Many of the contestants are fed lines, I am sure. When reality TV programmes (as it is spelt in the UK) transfer to the US - 'Wife Swap' for example, there is a transparent lack of truth, and the stories spin so fast you get dizzy. At the beginning of the prog there is a 'get out' clause which states that some scenes have been inserted for dramatic effect. The original series on Channel 4, UK began as something of a sociological experiment. Meanwhile Stateside it seems anything goes - as long as it is not actually true!
This is a shame because the artificial sensationalism obscures what was fairly revelatory and potentially sensational anyway, as changing your life - for however short a time - and being emotionally challenged (usually the wife is placed with a family with entirely different values from her own, placing a vegetarian with a butcher, for example, oh OK that example was also sensational, but you know the kind of thing), produced a pretty explosive situation as it was without spicing it up any further!
And talking of spices - I realize I've strayed off our Gordon
somewhat, but hey, that's show bizz!!!
