Renowned chef Heston Blumenthal has revealed he's steering clear of the hit TV series ‘The Bear’ due to concerns it might trigger his recently diagnosed bipolar disorder. The restaurant owner and Michelin-starred TV chef, known for his innovative and unusual cooking, expressed his hesitation to engage with the show's intense portrayal of kitchen life during a candid interview with BBC Newsnight.
Blumenthal, aged 58, disclosed that while several of his chef colleagues served as consultants for the critically acclaimed series, he feels it's ‘too early’ for him to watch it. The show, which revolves around a young chef managing a high-pressure Chicago restaurant, hits particularly close to home for Blumenthal, who has spent decades in similarly demanding culinary environments. Alongside the three Michelin star The Fat Duck which opened in 1995, Blumenthal runs the two Michelin-star Knightsbridge restaurant Dinner by Heston and the Michelin-starred Hind’s Head.
During an interview with The Times, Blumenthal recalled how his journey to Michelin stardom at The Fat Duck was marked by a gruelling 120-hour work schedule, ‘getting about 20 hours of sleep each week.’
Blumenthal received a bipolar type 1 diagnosis earlier this year, a disorder characterised by manic periods lasting more than a week, sometimes followed by shorter depressive episodes. While it’s uncertain how much his underlying condition influenced his career, he noted that ‘when you’re in the manic stage, it’s like vomiting ideas’ and remembers bombarding his team with new ideas during manic highs that could go on for days.
The diagnosis came after his wife, Melanie Ceysson, had him sectioned in November 2023. This experience, while challenging, was ‘the best thing that could have happened,’ Blumenthal told The Times, ‘It allowed me to reset.’ Blumenthal maintains a positive outlook, viewing his condition as an integral part of his identity rather than a purely negative aspect.
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