Latest news with #NakedChef
Daily Mirror
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Jamie Oliver's new show is 'viscerally painful' as school trauma 'hits a nerve'
TV chef Jamie Oliver has opened up about his struggles with dyslexia in new Channel 4 documentary, Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution, revealing he was made to feel 'stupid, worthless and thick' as a schoolboy Over the course of his stellar career, Jamie Oliver has produced countless hit TV shows, from adventurous travel documentaries to accessible cook-alongs. However, his most recent television offering strikes a profoundly personal note, unlike anything the Naked Chef has released before, delving into the topic of dyslexia. Nowadays, Jamie is known to be one of the brightest stars of the culinary world, with his numerous cookbooks on display in kitchens up and down the country. The 50-year-old father of five has also used his celeb status for good, emphasising the importance of providing nutritious meals for children to ensure the best possible start in life. Such a legacy may well have seemed like an unachievable dream to the school-aged Jamie, who was cruelly blasted as a "stupid dunce" by his peers. In his one-hour Channel 4 documentary, Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution, the Essex-born chef opens up about the challenges he himself faced as a youngster growing up with dyslexia, while advocating for improved dyslexia support in schools, with an emphasis on early screenings and better neurodiversity awareness. Delving into his experiences of making the doc in an interview with The Sunday Times, Jamie shared that it was the "most viscerally painful" thing he's ever done. Remarking that he was "unpacking quite a lot of stuff", Jamie told the publication: "I thought I'd buried it, but it's hitting a nerve. Genuinely, of all the things I've ever done, this documentary is the most viscerally painful." He continued: "I've seen so many high-flying, talented, grown men cry about this — I've just done it to you — the concept of being worthless (when you're) young is real. It's really triggering." As explained by the NHS, dyslexia is a "common learning difficulty that causes problems with reading, writing, and spelling", estimated to affect as many as one out of every ten people in the UK. This lifelong learning difficulty, previously known as word blindness, can present various daily challenges, from spelling to reading speedily. However, those who have it have been found to frequently excel in other areas, including problem-solving and creative thinking. Sadly, Jamie, who left school with two GCSEs, was made to feel "stupid, worthless and thick" with his insecurities leading to a "a hatred of words and a total resentment for education". He remembered: "I didn't have any extra time in exams, there were no strategies, just a bit of extra tutoring help. There was no robust dyslexic knowledge then." Jamie was thankfully able to carve a rewarding path for himself, thanks to his extraordinary cooking talents, a path that he has reflected "saved" him. He added: "I didn't tell mum, dad or the teachers. I just bottled it up inside. The kitchen saved me. I knew I had something to offer. I knew I wasn't a useless piece of s***."
Perth Now
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
'Amazing but bonkers': Jamie Oliver shares some of his children are neurodivergent
Jamie Oliver has a "very neurodiverse family". The 50-year-old chef - who has Poppy, 23, Daisy, 22, Petal, 16, Buddy, 14, and River, eight, with wife Jools, also 50 - has struggled with learning disorder dyslexia for all his life but was only formally diagnosed in January this year, and the last 12 months has also seen some of his kids diagnosed with conditions such as ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Although the 'Naked Chef' star declined to name which of his kids are neurodiverse, he believes understanding their conditions have helped him and Jools to become "better" parents, and they like to discuss the needs of their brood in bed. He told The Sunday Times magazine: "[We've] learnt to understand that their behaviour is because they're seeing things differently. "Being aware of that allows you to be a better parent." Speaking about their family life, he added: "[It's] amazing but bonkers. Imagine four neurodiverse people at the dinner table trying to get their point across." Jamie turned 50 on May 27, and though he found hitting the milestone "a bit s***", he is determined to look after himself so he can continue living life to the full for his long as possible. Jamie added: "[Turning 50] isn't great, in fact it's a bit s***. "I'm trying desperately hard to be the healthiest version of me, working on the right things at the gym and physiotherapy. 'Hopefully, I've got a few more years in me yet... 'I'm still here, I'm still alive. I'd like the fifties to be different. I'd like them to be celebratory. I like the idea that my fifties require a different Jamie.' To mark his birthday, the TV star is planning 'a mini festival, a rave in the vegetable patch' at his home in Essex, East England, where he plans to call in some favours from fellow chefs. He said: "[I want them to] 'feed a bunch of reprobates until the early hours. I haven't thrown a party for a while, so I'm probably due one.' And Jamie said his hope for the future is to "get old cooking" and mentor the next generation of chefs. He said: "To get old cooking, travel less and work with more young chefs. The happiest version of me is when I'm bigging up other people and shining a light on them.' Meanwhile, Jamie and Jools will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary later this month but the 'Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution' star doesn't believe grand gestures have been necessary in their relationship. Asked the key to their happy marriage, he said: "Don't have high expectations. You'll be let down all the time. Set them correctly and you'll get nice surprises. "Don't hold grudges, hang around and it might work itself out."
Wales Online
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Jamie Oliver says 'amazing but bonkers' as he shares that his children are neurodivergent
Jamie Oliver says 'amazing but bonkers' as he shares that his children are neurodivergent Although the 'Naked Chef' star declined to name which of his kids are neurodiverse, he believes understanding their conditions have helped him and Jools to become "better" parents Jamie Oliver (Image:) ) Jamie Oliver has a "very neurodiverse family". The 50-year-old chef - who has Poppy, 23, Daisy, 22, Petal, 16, Buddy, 14, and River, eight, with wife Jools, also 50 - has struggled with learning disorder dyslexia for all his life but was only formally diagnosed in January this year, and the last 12 months has also seen some of his kids diagnosed with conditions such as ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Although the 'Naked Chef' star declined to name which of his kids are neurodiverse, he believes understanding their conditions have helped him and Jools to become "better" parents, and they like to discuss the needs of their brood in bed. He told The Sunday Times magazine: "[We've] learnt to understand that their behaviour is because they're seeing things differently. "Being aware of that allows you to be a better parent." Speaking about their family life, he added: "[It's] amazing but bonkers. Imagine four neurodiverse people at the dinner table trying to get their point across." Jamie turned 50 on May 27, and though he found hitting the milestone "a bit s***", he is determined to look after himself so he can continue living life to the full for his long as possible. Article continues below Jamie added: "[Turning 50] isn't great, in fact it's a bit s***. "I'm trying desperately hard to be the healthiest version of me, working on the right things at the gym and physiotherapy. "Hopefully, I've got a few more years in me yet... "I'm still here, I'm still alive. I'd like the fifties to be different. I'd like them to be celebratory. I like the idea that my fifties require a different Jamie." To mark his birthday, the TV star is planning "a mini festival, a rave in the vegetable patch" at his home in Essex, East England, where he plans to call in some favours from fellow chefs. He said: "[I want them to] "feed a bunch of reprobates until the early hours. I haven't thrown a party for a while, so I'm probably due one." And Jamie said his hope for the future is to "get old cooking" and mentor the next generation of chefs. He said: "To get old cooking, travel less and work with more young chefs. The happiest version of me is when I'm bigging up other people and shining a light on them." Meanwhile, Jamie and Jools will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary later this month but the 'Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution' star doesn't believe grand gestures have been necessary in their relationship. Article continues below Asked the key to their happy marriage, he said: "Don't have high expectations. You'll be let down all the time. Set them correctly and you'll get nice surprises. "Don't hold grudges, hang around and it might work itself out."
South Wales Guardian
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Jamie Oliver hailed as ‘absolute legend' by wife Jools as he celebrates 50th
Jools, who married the presenter and restaurateur in 2000, shared a video to her Instagram page on Tuesday that included pictures of the couple and their five children. She wrote: 'Happy birthday my absolute LEGEND we love you SO much xxx and can not wait to celebrate you today 50. 'WOW we are so proud of everything you have achieved so far, you are wonderful xxxx love you xxx.' A post shared by Jools Oliver (@joolsoliver) Oliver posted a series of heart emojis in the comments section. The couple, who celebrate their 25th anniversary in June, are parents to children Poppy, Daisy, Petal, Buddy and River. Oliver has written a slew of cooking books and released his first children's book, Billy And The Giant Adventure, in 2023. Last year he apologised and withdrew a children's book he wrote after it was criticised for causing offence to First Nation Australians. In the noughties he was known as The Naked Chef, after his 1999 book and TV series of the same name. He has long campaigned on children's food and nutrition and caused a furore in 2005 when he hit out at Turkey Twizzlers in school meals, in an attempt to make school dinners healthier for students. In 2024 he celebrated 15 years of his food education programme, the Ministry Of Food, which delivers lessons on how to cook and eat healthy food at schools and communities across the UK. His notable TV shows include Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, Jamie's School Dinners, Jamie Cooks Italy, and Jamie And Jimmy's Friday Night Feast. His restaurant empire which included Jamie's Italian, collapsed into administration in May 2019. He currently owns a number of restaurants, including a location at Catherine Street in London which opened in 2023.
Leader Live
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Jamie Oliver hailed as ‘absolute legend' by wife Jools as he celebrates 50th
Jools, who married the presenter and restaurateur in 2000, shared a video to her Instagram page on Tuesday that included pictures of the couple and their five children. She wrote: 'Happy birthday my absolute LEGEND we love you SO much xxx and can not wait to celebrate you today 50. 'WOW we are so proud of everything you have achieved so far, you are wonderful xxxx love you xxx.' A post shared by Jools Oliver (@joolsoliver) Oliver posted a series of heart emojis in the comments section. The couple, who celebrate their 25th anniversary in June, are parents to children Poppy, Daisy, Petal, Buddy and River. Oliver has written a slew of cooking books and released his first children's book, Billy And The Giant Adventure, in 2023. Last year he apologised and withdrew a children's book he wrote after it was criticised for causing offence to First Nation Australians. In the noughties he was known as The Naked Chef, after his 1999 book and TV series of the same name. He has long campaigned on children's food and nutrition and caused a furore in 2005 when he hit out at Turkey Twizzlers in school meals, in an attempt to make school dinners healthier for students. In 2024 he celebrated 15 years of his food education programme, the Ministry Of Food, which delivers lessons on how to cook and eat healthy food at schools and communities across the UK. His notable TV shows include Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, Jamie's School Dinners, Jamie Cooks Italy, and Jamie And Jimmy's Friday Night Feast. His restaurant empire which included Jamie's Italian, collapsed into administration in May 2019. He currently owns a number of restaurants, including a location at Catherine Street in London which opened in 2023.
