Jamie Oliver has revealed that BBC executives initially kept his wife Jools out of the first series of The Naked Chef because they did not want him to have a girlfriend. The chef, who has been married to Jools for 26 years, said he was "naive" when the show first aired in 1999.
Jools hidden during first series
Speaking on The Splendid Table podcast, Oliver recalled that the show was filmed in the flat he rented, where he lived with Jools. However, she was noticeably absent from the first series. He said: "The middle-aged BBC executives didn't want me to have a girlfriend. Jools didn't exist in the first series, so, obviously, you know, that was interesting."
Oliver explained that he gained more control after the show became a success. He said: "But then, as The Naked Chef went out and it was huge, a little bit more permission came my way and I was slightly less naive."
Life behind the scenes
During filming, Jools would wait in the bedroom for production to finish. Oliver said: "Jools was in my bedroom downstairs kind of waiting for production to finish and get out of the house so we could just have a house again!"
Despite the difficulty, Oliver described the experience as "amazing". He added: "It was amazing, and I was grateful, and I was excited to be living in London as a country boy. I was excited to be in love and be with my Mrs."
Jools' recent diagnosis
Jools Oliver recently revealed she has been diagnosed with autism and ADHD, saying that not understanding her neurodivergence has "ruined" her life for the past 45 years. During an appearance on the Lessons From Our Mothers podcast, she said: "It's no superpower. It's just a drain and it's just really hard work."
She decided to get tested for autism after her ADHD diagnosis, as she recognised behavioural habits shared with some of her and Jamie's children, who were also diagnosed with autism. Jamie's 20 Minute Meals airs on Monday 2nd November from 8pm on Channel 4.
