Lisa Vanderpump Talks Working With Gordon Ramsay on FOOD STARS
By Movieguide® Contributor
Lisa Vanderpump discussed joining Gordon Ramsey for season two of FOOD STARS and how the show brought out her most competitive side.
In season two of FOOD STARS, Vanderpump and Ramsey drafted a team of food and beverage entrepreneurs who they then mentored through a business boot camp as they competed for a final prize of $250,000 to put towards their businesses.
“We had to be strategic in choosing a team,” Vanderpump told Variety. “We had these challenges coming up where you had to have all your bases covered: we had to have somebody that understood how the kitchen worked, somebody who understood presenting. It wasn’t just their brand that they were pitching to us, it was also about their areas of expertise.”
“Sometimes it was frustrating as well when we both went after the same person. And then there were reasons personally, as well, why they chose either one of us,” she continued. “Gordon has got a huge presence in the UK where we filmed it, but the contestants were American, so they’ve known me for years. And then there were emotional reasons somebody would say, a mother who had passed loved you, different reasons.”
“In addition to Gordon and Lisa, the challenges will be evaluated by guest judges, curated focus groups and customer feedback, profit and loss metrics, and market and corporate feedback,” What to Watch described.
Ramsey’s personality sometimes got to Vanderpump, causing her competitive side to heat up. She ended up having to temper herself so she didn’t become overly obnoxious.
“It’s because he wants to win so badly that makes me want to,” Vanderpump explained. “If he ever intimated that he has potentially the stronger contestant and he’s going to win, then that raises the game even more. It was good natured – I can’t ruin how the dynamic changes through the series – but I was in danger of becoming obnoxious if I won anything, because I was gloating. So it was back and forth.”
Ultimately, however, the show is about the entrepreneurs and their opportunity to grab the spotlight.
“To develop your brand and to have a light shown on it is really extraordinary,” Vanderpump said during a teaser for the show.
“As Lisa knows, [and] everyone in business, you need to be multifaceted, multi-talented. It’s about pushing these entrepreneurs to their limits,” Ramsey added.
Season 2 of FOOD STARS is airing now on Fox and streaming on Hulu.
