Ramsay cooks up £8.5m deal

Gordon Ramsay confirmed his position as Britain's most astute celebrity chef yesterday by signing a contract with Channel 4 believed to be worth £8.5million.

The four-year golden handcuffs deal puts him among the country's best-paid TV presenters, alongside Jonathan Ross, Simon Cowell and Paul O'Grady.

It ends attempts by ITV to lure him back from Channel 4, where he presents Kitchen Nightmares and The F-Word.

As well as making more of these hit shows, the channel is understood to be planning new formats for him. Ramsay's decision to sign is a welcome relief for Channel 4's director of programmes Kevin Lygo after ITV made a bid of around £5million to woo the famously foulmouthed chef.

Ramsay, 39, presented the first series of Hell's Kitchen on ITV1 two years ago - clashing repeatedly with former Tory MP Edwina Currie - and recently starred in its reality football series, Soccer Aid, alongside Robbie Williams, Diego Maradona and Alastair Campbell.

Unlike many rival celebrity chefs, Ramsay has managed to combine his TV work with a growing restaurant empire.