Gordon Ramsay, the famously sharp-tongued chef behind “MasterChef,” just revealed he had surgery for skin cancer. He’s 58 now, and he broke the news with a post on Instagram, showing off stitches below his ear, not exactly the kind of kitchen battle scar you want.
Ramsay didn’t just drop the info and run, though. He made a point about how crucial it is to protect your skin from the sun.
Gordon Ramsay Undergoes Surgery
Gordon Ramsay on Instagram wrote, “Grateful and so appreciative for the incredible team at The Skin Associates and their fast reactive work on removing this Basal Cell Carcinoma, thank you! Please don’t forget your sunscreen this weekend, I promise you it’s not a facelift! I’d need a refund.”
For anyone not up on the medical lingo, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer out there.
According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, it’s the kind of people get most often. BCC usually pops up on areas of skin that get a lot of sun, and it tends to grow slowly.
It rarely spreads to other parts of the body, which is a bit of good news if you catch it early. Doctors still hammer home the basics: Wear sunscreen, don’t fry yourself in the sun, and get checked if you notice anything weird on your skin.
Gordon Ramsay’s Skin Cancer Scare:
Ramsay’s announcement got a flood of support pretty much instantly. TV judge Robert Rinder dropped in with a heart emoji, and Ramsay’s daughter Holly wrote, “Love you, Dad.” Even Cancer Research UK chimed in, saying they were glad he’s okay and thanking him for reminding everyone how important sun safety actually is.
Fans and followers were quick to say thanks, too, for using his massive platform to talk about something people don’t discuss enough.
This isn’t the only rough patch Ramsay’s faced lately. Just last June, he ended up in the hospital after a cycling crash in Connecticut.
He joked about looking like a “purple potato” but reassured everyone that he hadn’t broken any bones. Six months down the line, he posted a video showing he was back on his feet and healing up.
