A RIBBLE Valley restaurant owner has shattered the outspoken, sexist image of TV chef Gordon Ramsay by describing him as a "nurturing, extremely caring, non-sexist" man.

African-born chef Stosie Madi, 35, who runs a restaurant in Clitheroe, defended the celebrity chef -- who was recently described as sexist after he said women cannot cook.

And Stosie will be proving that women really can cook when she joins Gordon Ramsay's kitchen staff on his new series The F Word.

She said: "I was very excited to meet Gordon and to be so close to someone who has done so well. I have learned so much already.

"Whatever is said on TV, it is the cameras that depict Gordon Ramsay a certain way. He's straightforward and down to earth. I found him to be very nurturing to all the young trainees and he was extremely caring. The whole time he was very nice.

"There's been a big furore recently about his views on women and cooking but what he was basically saying was that young women today don't have as much time to be cooking all the time and it is easier to go to the supermarket for food.

"He's not sexist and is very pro-women in cooking."

Stosie, owner of Weezos restaurant in Clitheroe, was one of 12 trainees chosen to work with Gordon from an initial 1,000 who auditioned.

She is due to spend a whole day in the F Word Restaurant tomorrow going head to head with another trainee in a bid to get to the last six finalists.

This number will then be split into two groups of three before a winner is chosen.

Stosie's day, cooking for 60 people, will be broadcast on The F Word, on Channel 4, on November 17.

The mum-of-one was already a successful restaurateur in her native Gambia when she decided to open an East Lancashire venue last October.

Her restaurant has since been awarded a Les Routiers plaque and entry into the the European good dining guide.

She said: "I wanted to do the F Word as a personal challenge. I have never worked in someone else's kitchen. Even if I don't get through to the final, it will give me an insight into how my young chefs feel working in my restaurant."