Sharp edges, blunt words

British chef Heston Blumenthal has gone public about his struggle with ADHD and bipolar syndrome. He hopes it calms kitchens down. It's hot in there already

- VIR SANGHVI

The Bear is probably the most acclaimed TV series about restaurants and chefs ever made. Much of it is relentlessly downbeat and focuses on the trials of running a professional kitchen.

I was reminded of The Bear when I watched an interview with Heston Blumenthal on Newsnight on BBCTV. Unusually for a chef, Blumenthal has gone public with what years in the kitchen have done to his mental health. He has been diagnosed with both attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bipolar syndrome. The BBC interviewer asked Blumenthal if he had seen The Bear and he answered, with remarkable candour, that he had made a deliberate decision not to watch it. His wife, Melanie, who was interviewed with him, said that they feared that the scenes of tension in the kitchen would trigger something inside him and have damaging consequences for his mental health.

Blumenthal is a close friend and we talk at least once a week no matter where in the world we are. So, while most people were shocked when Blumenthal went public with his diagnosis, I had been familiar with what he was going through.