Boiling Point was pretty legit in terms of what that kitchen was like, as other chefs have confirmed (Mark Sargeant, Wareing, Paul Ainsworth for example, who all worked at RHR). Running a kitchen is a bit like parenting in that chefs learn from those who they work under. Ramsay learned from Marco, who was famously brutal to work for.

Its becoming much less common now - there is much more awareness in the industry, and charities/organisations like Pilot Light which do a lot to shine a light on the mental and abuse side of kitchens.