Ramsay in hot water after scuffle on the set of US show

The Michelin-starred cook has landed himself in the soup after clashing with a contestant on the US version of his hit show, Hell’s Kitchen.

Ramsay, 37, whose four-letter tirades have turned him into a household name, is said to have scuffled with the man on set. The American sprained his ankle after he fell to the floor during the incident and was left needing hospital treatment.

Ramsay has been in Los Angeles for two weeks filming the US version of the programme for Fox TV.

It is believed the chef, who is being paid 1 million for the show, became embroiled in a shoving match after a contestant roused his notorious temper. Ramsay is reported to have spent much of Friday in discussions with lawyers over how to avoid a legal action from the contestant. The incident happened last week and is thought to have been caught on camera.

A spokeswoman for Ramsay said: "One cast member did hurt his ankle on set and was taken to hospital, where it was diagnosed as a sprain. He was advised to rest and therefore taken off the show.

"This is a minor matter and will not interfere with the rest of the production timetable. This is all we are advised to say at this moment."

Ramsay is understood to have told a colleague about the incident, saying: "It’s a disaster. A guy on set p***ed me off. We got into a shoving match and fell down and did his ankle. Everyone is really p***ed off with me.

"I’ve been in constant meetings with lawyers trying to avoid a lawsuit. My people in the UK know about it and they’re really angry with me.

"The people at Fox are frightened there is going to be a massive lawsuit. The guy wound me up and I got angry. He hurt his ankle when he fell. It wasn’t intentional. I’m Gordon Ramsay, for goodness sake: people know I’m volatile. But I didn’t mean to hurt the guy."

The chef, a former Glasgow Rangers footballer, has been filming the American version of the show - which features members of the public rather than celebrities - in Los Angeles since the beginning of the month. He is due back in Britain in the next few weeks. Ramsay’s wife Tana flew back to Britain on Friday after a short stay with her husband.

The chef’s rise to fame has been as much about his colourful language as the quality of his cooking. His first TV appearance in 1998 was in a fly-on-the-wall documentary at his 100-a-head Chelsea restaurant where his staff were frequently on the wrong end of his verbal tirades.

After one confrontation with pastry chef Nathan Thomas over his banana parfait a complaint was made to the police accusing Ramsay of assault. He denied this but the programme showed another worker cycling away in tears because they were so upset by their treatment.

Ramsay ordered food critic AA Gill and guest Joan Collins out of his restaurant because Gill had once been rude to him. He was seen regularly criticising colleagues on Channel 4’s Kitchen Nightmares, and on one occasion was asked to go outside for a fight by a Lake District restaurateur.

Ramsay also rarely held his tongue with contestants on ITV’s Hell’s Kitchen which was aired this summer. His use of the F-word while giving his celebrity contestants the ‘hair dryer treatment’ earned ITV1 a slap on the wrists from television watchdog Ofcom.

In the show’s most memorable scene Coronation Street actress Amanda Barrie walked out after lashing out at the chef with a kitchen utensil. But he saved his most vicious attacks for former Tory MP Edwina Currie branding her "diseased", "poisonous" and a "pathetic bitch".

Ramsay also made a series of jibes about Mrs Currie’s affair with former Prime Minister John Major. He said: "One minute you are s******g the Prime Minister and now you are trying to s**g me from behind."

He vowed never to make another series and branded the celebrity participants a bunch of whingers.