Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s Father’s Day post: Helmet ‘saved my life’ during cycling accident

British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay took to Instagram to share an important public service announcement during the Father’s Day weekend: Wear a helmet while cycling.

The 57-year-old television star of American reality cooking competition MasterChef posted a video on June 15, specifically addressing “all the dads out there” ahead of Father’s Day on June 16.

“You know how much I love cycling. This week, unfortunately, I had a really bad accident. It really shook me... I’m lucky to be here. You’ve got to wear a helmet. I don’t care how short the journey is... even the kids have to wear a helmet,” he says emphatically in the video.

The father of six then lifts his white chef’s jacket to reveal a large purple-black bruise on his left torso.

In the caption on his post, Ramsay explains that though he did not “break any bones or suffer any major injuries”, he was “a bit bruised up looking like a purple potato”.

“I want to wish you all a happy Father’s Day, but please, please, please wear a helmet. If I didn’t, honestly, I wouldn’t be here now,” he adds in the video.

The post’s caption indicates that the accident took place in the US state of Connecticut, and includes a word of thanks from Ramsay to the medical staff at a hospital in the Connecticut town of New London.

But the restaurateur – who owns a glut of restaurants worldwide, including Bread Street Kitchen at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands – also highlighted that he was “most thankful for my helmet that saved my life”.

Ramsay – who has three daughters aged 26, 24 and 22; and three sons aged 24, five and seven months, with his British wife Tana Ramsay, 49 – also shared a photo of his helmet after the accident, which appeared to be substantially banged up.