Two-star Michelin chef Michel Roux Jr has become known for his straight-shooting criticisms of hopeful chefs on shows including MasterChef: The Professionals and most recently Five Star Kitchen: Britain’s Next Great Chef.
Over the years, some fans have taken to social media to call out the 63-year-old for being too “ruthless” in his critiques.
One tweeted: “Michel Roux Jr is being ruthless tonight! Particularly harsh on the Frenchman.” While another echoed: “Michel Roux Jr is a harsh judge. Dude doesn’t hold back his comments.”
When quizzed on the “harsh criticism” viewers have come to expect, the Le Gavroche owner hit back: “I don’t think it’s harsh, it’s brutally honest.
“I say exactly what I think but in a constructive way, because it’s important to encourage,” he told Radio Times.
Channel 4’s Five Star Kitchen sees Michel join a panel of judges to find the greatest chef in Britain after putting them through their paces with challenges such as lavish banquets and high-concept fusion dishes.
With the final airing this Friday, the talented winner will run their own restaurant inside London’s five-star hotel, The Langham.
Sharing how he thinks he’d fare in the competition, Michel told the aforementioned publication: “Maybe, because I’ve got to a ripe old age, I can channel the nerves into positives.
“But I know I’d relish the challenge of cooking against people. Pressure is good. Adrenaline is a sign of being alive.”
“She’s not wrong. But every day is different, and I enjoy what I do. I think that’s important. If you enjoy what you do, keep doing it,” he added.
Michel began working with his father at Le Gavroche in 1985 and took over the restaurant after his dad’s retirement in 1993.
The final of Five Star Kitchen: Britain’s Next Great Chef airs Friday, July 7, at 8pm on Channel 4.
You can read Michel’s full interview in this week’s Radio Times.
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