Ramsay sued for £1m in speaking tour nightmare

Gordon Ramsay is being sued for £1 million after twice cancelling a speaking tour in New Zealand.

The chef initially pulled out of two charity dinners in June on the grounds that his mother had just had a heart attack.

Ramsay again cried off when the events were rescheduled for October, this time blaming a UK "business crisis".

This forced promoter Duco Ltd to refund 1,600 ticketholders, while Ramsay was obliged to pay back most of his £50,000 fee.

However, Duco has decided to pursue the matter further and is looking for £1 million in damages.

According to papers filed by the company, there is no evidence to suggest Ramsay's mother actually had a heart attack, and he was making public appearances in his Dubai restaurant Verre in October.

Meanwhile, Ramsay was recently caught by the Daily Mail driving his new Ferrari without a number plate at the front of the vehicle - a breach of UK law.