His gastronomic quest showcases the stunning variety of India’s culinary traditions, as he submerges himself in all aspects of Indian culture – no matter how challenging, unfamiliar or extreme.

This epic journey showcases India’s stunning scenery, diverse people and an abundance of delicious, mouth-watering food that will put our take-away curries in the shade.

From balti to biryani Gordon will be tasting the real deal versions of Britain’s favourite dishes and finding his normally revered cooking skills put to the test.

Hear Gordon’s thoughts on his Great Escape in this exclusive interview.

More from Gordon’s Great Escape.

Imagine a Benetton advert where everyone is wearing a chef’s hat – this is the scene I walk into on set of the F Word trailer. There are Chinese chefs and Indian chefs, French chefs, Rasta chefs and chefs with Mexican ‘taches. None of them are Gordon.

Apparently, Gordon has a reputation for being a bit late, but once he’s on set, he’s brilliant. “I worked with Gordon on a day when there was an awful story about him in the press,” says Phil, director of the trailer. “Off set he was on the phone, fuming, then he’d come on-set, say ‘What do you need me to do?’ and just nail it.”

In this series of the F Word, Gordon is on the hunt for the UK’s best independent restaurant. The trailer will show him being fed forkfuls of food by contesting chefs – which explains the cluster of ethnically diverse cooks. Amazingly, the entire range of world cuisine is being cooked up by three home economists working in a cramped corner of the set on what looks like a couple of Bunsen burners but is actually a competent, if compact, kitchen.

Chief home ec-type lady, Beth, is busy lining up spoons, forks and skewers ready to shove into Gordon’s mouth.

“Are you worried someone will stab him in the face with a fork full of curry?” I ask her

“We’ve sanded down the sticks on the kebabs so we don’t poke him,” she assures me.

By the time Gordon arrives and is taken through the script, the once-hot food has been sitting for a while. Congealed risotto? Rather him than me.

“How are those slipping down?” I ask him after the first cut.

“It’s all cold – f**king disgusting,” he moans, “cold quiche, cold goujon and ice cold raw f**king chips.”

True to form, Gordon is a real sport, swallowing 10 mouthfuls of unidentifiable food, before resorting to the spit bucket. I count at least 30 servings after that, there could have been more; what is certain is the grimace on Gordon’s face is the real deal.

“What the f**k was that?” he cries as a spoonful of frogspawn-like pitahaya is popped into his mouth by one of the chef extras.

When feeding time is over, I ask Gordon if any of the independent restaurants he’s visited so far have impressed him. “There’s a Spanish place in South London,” he muses. “And a Chinese place in Edinburgh, where they make these extraordinary dumplings.”

What about the celebrity guests – are they back this year?

“Jordan’s coming in. God help us. Kelly Brook was in looking great – especially when she was getting food out of the back of the oven.”

When the anecdotes turn to Max Beesley and a deer penis, I take my leave.

“It was about 16 inches long!” Gordon calls.

Worth tuning in for.

Watch the trailer and more from the F Word

In this case it’s Delia Smith’s Food and Wine Workshop at Norwich City Football Club. And here’s the moment he revealed his true identity to Delia, who until then was totally unaware that one of the world’s most famous chefs had been posing as a punter at her school.

See how Gordon faced up to this latest challenge – the first of many surprises – when he returns to our screens for Cookalong Live, starting Friday 24th October, 9pm on Channel 4

It’s 9am at the York and Albany restaurant and a cluster of journalists has gathered for a taster of Friday’s Cookalong launch where Gordon will unite the nation in a live three course cooking bonanza. Where Friday’s menu will feature salmon en croute with herbed new potatoes and garlic sautéed broccoli, we’re starting slowly and early with the breakfast in bed classic – smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.

It’s sophisticated but it’s simple and everyone’s feeling confident that they’re up to the task. Everybody can scramble an egg, right? But it often comes down to individual taste and there’s some concern Gordon’s technique won’t be equal to personal style. “I hope he doesn’t do them too runny,” offers one worried writer, “I don’t like them runny.” “I like them with Parmesan,” offers another budding gastronome. Perhaps someone should take Gordon aside?

While I wait I take in the open kitchen of the recently renovated restaurant. There’s a shining throng of immaculate chefs, I count 10 at least, all calmly creating at their stations, carefully plucking parsley or chopping veg. Where’s the screaming head chef and cacophony of burning pans? Is this unnatural calm for Gordon’s benefit or are real pros really this chilled? I make more mess and clatter spreading my Marmite in the morning.

And then he’s here, trimmer than I’d expected but somehow seeming twice as big as everybody else in the kitchen. The other chefs never flinch. I hope they knew he was coming.

He’s teaching the journos in groups of three and the first trio assemble amid a barrage of banter: “We’ve got you a box to stand on,” Gordon tells one less than leggy reporter. “What do you mean it’s hot? It’s a f****** kitchen,” the onslaught continues.

But he’s a good teacher and after a few novel pointers (always use a dry pan, three eggs per person) the proud reporters are displaying their finished dishes in a matter of minutes.

Gordon’s version uses a spoon of crème fraiche stirred in at the end with a sprinkling of chopped chives and a delicate seasoning of salt and pepper. The remaining writers have a go and everyone is impressed. There’s been the odd bit of splash back and bit of blaming the stove –”I was on the end so mine didn’t cook as well,” but without exception the eggs look divine. “Don’t over work them because they become mushy,” comes Gordon’s advice, “and get it out of pan as soon as possible, those extra 30 seconds make a lot of difference.”

The hacks serve their scrambled goodies in the middle of some smoked salmon peaks and sit down to scoff their creations. It’s taken them all less than five minutes to whip up a meal worth paying for and that’s a skill they’ll take with them. “I know what everyone will be cooking this Saturday,” laughs one of the converts. And that’s what Cookalong is all about. Learning quick, simple recipes that are fun to cook and impressive to eat.

Now, I wonder if he does private lessons.

Find our more about the latest series of Cookalong Live.