‘If people cook, the world is a happier, healthier place’
By Sarah Tetteh
He has come a long way from Westminster College. Fans of one of the world’s most famous TV chef’s would be forgiven for not knowing Jamie Oliver’s humble beginnings.
It’s this humility which some would say has elevated him into a household name, having spoken to people who walked the same college halls as Jamie as a fledgling chef in South London.
Fast forward a few decades and Jamie, whose tireless campaigns to ban Turkey Twizzlers in the school dinner halls and get the nation eating right, is now firmly on the map.
The TV favourite loves to joke around, and it’s even wound him up in trouble with his peers (don’t mention ‘jerk rice’, anyone) ha! He is always good value.
Jamie has opened up about his mission to get Londoners back in their kitchens and eating healthily, to put an end to the obesity crisis once and for all on The Louis Theroux Podcast.
He said: “If people cook, the world is a healthier, happier place. I think the average cook time now is less than 20 minutes. The basket data from the best sources is saying that we’ve never cooked less than now. And also, if you translate that data, it also says that the NHS has got no hope in hell.
“And it’s just means a lot of kind of fairly dark prognosis for health.
“So you could say, ‘well, have you failed?’ And I could say, well, potentially, but also, would it have been worse if I hadn’t have done 25 years of all the relentless stories, campaigns and bits and pieces. But I think like we’ve got technology now, we’ve got the ability to, the Uberization of food and delivery services and, and how convenient, but also expensive.
“Often not very healthy, more than often. So I think for me, is there room for another book? Well, yeah, because the target’s different. The target for the Naked Chef book one is that would be bliss. It would be bliss, even when we’re doing our 2030 project, which is to cut childhood obesity in half by 2030, that’s only to go back to the health statistics of the millennia, 2000.
“So I’m kind of groveling. I’m desperately trying to get people still cooking. And I truly believe that. If people cook, the world is a happier, healthier place.”
Jamie also spilled the beans on his relationship with another famous British chef who’s much more potty-mouthed than Jamie – Gordon Ramsay. He revealed how their kids helped mend their rift.
He said: “I didn’t have anything against him, but the thing is, it kind of generated the noise, it [slating Jamie Oliver publicly] was serving its purpose for him.
“I mean, I’d have to ask Gordon what it was all about, because we never fell out.
“We got on for the first couple of years and then as he did more TV, then it just went on and on and on, and it was quite painful. But in the end, actually, it was Jools and his wife, Tana, that sorted it out.”
He explained: “Yeah, because they’ve got growing kids.
“You know, Gordon’s got a gorgeous wife and kids.
They’re amazing.
“We’ve seen them all grow up. Our kids have probably got so much in common. And they all talk on social and stuff anyway.
“And it was like, come on dads. Grow up. So I think that both of us got a telling off and then went to have a drink and put it all to rest and let bygones be bygones.
“But I think also when I lost all my restaurants, he was very supportive. He was very kind.
“He sort of sent me messages and we are currently friends and, we all kind of get into ruts and trouble and say things we shouldn’t do.
“And I think the energy of the drink that me and Gordon had was like, “look, it was just silly. Like, let’s put it behind us.”
The Louis Theroux Podcast is available on Spotify now.
Pictured top: Jamie Oliver, right, opens up to Louis Theroux, left, on just why he’s determined to get Londoners healthy on The Louis Theroux Podcast Picture: The Louis Theroux Podcast