Gordon Ramsay 'Finally Admits' He 'Loves Vegan Food' During MasterChef 's First Vegan Challenge

Gordon Ramsay will reveal a long-kept secret on Wednesday's episode of MasterChef: Back to Win.

The celebrity chef got playful with competitors — all past contestants who returned for a second chance to win — while explaining what their upcoming task would be. In the exclusive clip above, Ramsay details the show's first-ever vegan challenge, while also opening up about this "culinary secret."

"It's a secret that's so big, I'm almost afraid to say it on national television," he says.

Gordon definitely catches the interest of the chefs as many raise a brow here and there, looking shocked by what he would soon reveal.

"Don't worry, Gordon. This is a safe space. We'll support you," judge Aarón Sánchez quips as the competitors laugh.

Following the hilarious, built-up tension, Ramsay finally reveals the playful secret. "After all these years, I can finally admit, that I actually love vegan food," he says with a chuckle.

FOX

RELATED: Gordon Ramsay's Mom Helen Gives Him Tough Love While Tasting His Food: 'I Don't Like That'

The chefs react with "Wow!" and "That can't be true."

One contestant, Shayne, says in an interview, "Are you serious? Mr. Beef Wellington likes vegetables by themselves? This just sounds like a bad nightmare."

Before Ramsay demonstrates his beet wellington — a vegan twist on the classic meat dish — he drives home his admission one more time. "It's taken me 20 years to get to this point," he says.

"Thanks to the kids, I've realized it's ok to be vegan…SOMETIMES!!!" Ramsay adds in a statement to PEOPLE.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

FOX

During the latest episode, called "Gordon Ramsay Loves Vegans!", contestants are challenged to create a vegan dish to meet Ramsay's tough standards.

Ramsay's distaste for vegetarian food has long been documented. In 2018, the MasterChef star poked fun at a vegan lifestyle while dishing out a batch of his usual harsh reviews on social media. "I'm a member of PETA ! People eating tasty animals……" he wrote in response to a Twitter user's photo of their vegan lasagna.

RELATED: Gordon Ramsay Is Giving 'This Vegan Thing a Try' Months After Mocking PETA

However, just three months after mocking the vegan lifestyle, he revealed on Twitter that he was "going to give this #vegan thing a try," adding, "Yes guys you heard that right."

It's unclear how long Ramsay kept up with the diet, but it appears he enjoyed it after all.

MasterChef: Back to Win airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.