"She’ll always be my first & last dance in the kitchen" — Gordon Ramsay mourns TikToker Maddy Baloy whose bucket list included meeting chef
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is grieving the loss of Maddy Baloy, a 26-year-old TikTok personality who passed away on May 1, 2024, after a battle with stage 4 terminal cancer, as per People magazine. Baloy, who had openly shared her journey and struggles with her followers, had listed meeting Ramsay as one of her key bucket list items.
The chef honored this wish, resulting in a touching encounter earlier this year at Miami's Lucky Cat restaurant, shared by both in two separate TikTok videos.
In a heartfelt Instagram post on May 2, Ramsay expressed his emotions upon hearing about Baloy's death, saying,
"She’ll always be my first & last dance in the kitchen and never forgotten. Sending all our love to her fiancé and family Gx."
What Gordon Ramsay wrote in his tribute to TikToker Maddy Baloy
In his Instagram post, Ramsay shared a video of him and Baloy dancing in a kitchen. He wrote in the caption:
"I’m truly at a loss for words by the sad news we received today about the loss of @fruitsnackmaddy. She was kind, fun and a true inspiration to me and my three girls. Knowing we were able to make one of her dreams come true will always be cherished by me."
The engagement on this post extends beyond Ramsay's immediate circle, with celebrities like Taylor Lautner expressing their condolences and support. Lautner, who had met Baloy during an episode of his podcast The Squeeze, commented,
"You’re a special one Gordon."
Meeting Gordon Ramsay was Maddy Baloy's dream
Meeting Gordon Ramsay was among the 19 items on Maddy Baloy's bucket list.
After her wish gained traction online, Ramsay responded with an invitation that went beyond a simple meeting: a dinner at his Miami restaurant, Lucky Cat, followed by a special evening where Maddy Baloy was treated as a "VVIP."
The dinner and the events that followed were documented by both Ramsay and Baloy on their social media accounts. In a TikTok video, Ramsay shared his anticipation for the meeting:
“First of all, I’d like to fly you down to Miami, have dinner with you and your friends in Hell’s Kitchen and then the following night, Friday night, you’ll be our special guest at the opening of our new restaurant, Lucky Cat in South Beach.”
Following their meeting, he also wrote on TikTok:
“I hope you had the best time @madison in Miami! It was such an honor for you to be my VVIP last night at #LuckyCat! Thx to everyone on TikTok too for helping making sure these dreams come true Gx."
Meanwhile, Baloy described the night as “the biggest honor and coolest night of my entire life":
"GORDON RAMSAY! The biggest honor and the coolest night of my whole entire life. And for everyone who made this happen; I love you @Gordon Ramsay!”
Under Maddy Baloy’s TikTok post about her experience with Ramsay, the latter commented:
“Thank you for teaching me to dance, it’s the first time ever in a kitchen,” Ramsay commented on TikTok.
In her conversations with the media, Baloy echoed the sentiment of having experienced something extraordinary. Speaking to PEOPLE in March 2024, she recounted the night as the epitome of a VIP experience, remarking:
“He's just the coolest man in the world. He gave us the VIP A-list, celebrity experience."
She expressed her gratitude and mentioned that she was grateful for receiving the VIP A-list treatment and she would always cherish the moment.