GORDON RAMSAY ADMITS 'I PAID FOR MY BROTHER'S HEROIN'

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay paid for heroin for his drug-addict
brother to get him to attend their father's funeral.

The 39-year-old restaurateur also describes being tormented by the
sight of 38-year-old Ronnie Ramsay frantically struggling to inject
himself with the Class A drug in his autobiography, Humble Pie.

In the book, Ramsay reveals how he gave his brother money so he could
buy the drug to get him through the funeral of their father, also
called Gordon.

Despite having a difficult relationship with his father, Ramsay said
the funeral was one of the worst days of his life.

He recalls: "By this time Ronnie was a desperate heroin addict and he
was refusing to go. I was at my wits' end. Finally, about an hour
before the funeral, I gave him money so he could buy what he needed
to get him through.

"I thought it was better for him to be there and off his face than
not there at all."

However, Ramsay was to realise his efforts were largely pointless,
because his brother was so high on drugs that he probably never
realised where he was.

In the book, which is being serialised in The Sun, Ramsay admits that
several scenes still haunt him about his brother's addiction. He has
helped him to seek treatment five times, but worries that he will
never be able to quit.

Ramsay reveals how he once sat and watched while Ronnie injected
himself. He says: "It was when he and I struck a deal - he could have
one more score, a UKP10 bag, before he went into rehab. That has
tortured me ever since. I had to sit and watch him."

On another occasion, Ramsay even went with his brother to get the
drug and describes the dealers as "little parasites". He also
describes how his lowest moment came when his brother revealed he had
lost the will to live.

After going for a walk with his brother and ending up in a
churchyard, Ramsay said he seized the chance after Ronnie broke down
and told him that would be where he would end up unless he pulled
himself together.