Jamie Oliver opens up about his financial struggles and surprising film role
Cardiff: So, Jamie Oliver is back on our screens with his show Jamie’s £1 Wonders & Money-Saving Meals. He’s all about whipping up tasty meals without breaking the bank. The show kicks off on Channel 4 at 8pm on January 6.
Remember when Jamie burst onto the scene in 1999 with The Naked Chef? Since then, he’s been everywhere, from cooking shows to cookbooks. Plus, he’s been a big advocate for healthier meals in schools.
Now, here’s the kicker: Jamie’s reportedly worth around $300 million, even after facing some serious setbacks with his restaurant chain. He launched Jamie’s Italian back in 2008, and it grew to 42 locations worldwide, including places like Australia and Canada.
But things took a turn when the chain went into administration in 2019. KPMG, the administrators, revealed that most of the £80 million debt from the collapse wouldn’t be recovered. Ouch!
In a Channel 4 documentary, Jamie got real about his struggles. He admitted to his team that he was far from okay, saying, “I’m f*****g not, it’s f****d.” You could feel the weight of it all on him.
He was really emotional when talking to Davina McCall about what went wrong. Jamie confessed he was naive about the restaurant business, saying, “I was good at running one restaurant but I wouldn’t call myself a businessman.”
He realized that opening big restaurants wasn’t the best move. People seem to prefer smaller, cozier spots. And here’s a fun fact: Jamie also lent his voice to the health inspector in the Disney Pixar film Ratatouille. Who knew?
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