Comedian Harry Hill has revealed he was forced to apologise to chef Jamie Oliver after a parody sketch went too far. The TV Burp host created a spoof of Oliver's Ministry of Food series, mocking the 'pass it on' initiative with a 'turn it off' campaign.
Hill's parody ridiculed Oliver's concept of teaching eight people to cook simple meals, with the aim of spreading skills across Rotherham. The comedian produced a diagram suggesting viewers should tell friends not to watch the show, mirroring Oliver's own diagram about teaching spaghetti bolognese.
The chef was reportedly 'so upset' by the joke that he refused to provide further clips for TV Burp. Hill told Metro: 'The only person who took exception was Jamie Oliver. We did go a bit too far but we had a show to fill.'
Hill later attempted to resolve the dispute by recording a video apology. He sang 'I Just Called to Say I Love You' in his kitchen, holding up one of Oliver's pans as a peace offering. The producer had contacted him saying Jamie was very upset and requested the video.
