Delia Smith has claimed Britain would be much healthier if rationing were brought back, arguing the country is now addicted to sugar and could learn from the Second World War.
The television chef, 85, made the remarks during her first interview since the death of her husband, Michael Wynn Jones, last month.
Rationing as a health measure
Delia said: "There was rationing of everything. You were only allowed 2oz of this a week or 1oz of that a week and you had books and they marked it off. In fact, if we brought that back, we'd be a really healthy nation."
She added: "It's been proved that the wartime people were more healthy than they've ever been before. Because they were rationed, they weren't eating rubbish."
Personal reflections and football memories
Delia spoke on the Amol Rajan Connection YouTube show, saying she needed to learn how to be "half a whole" after decades together and was by his side "night and day" during the last six weeks of his life. The couple were majority shareholders in Norwich City before selling their stake to a consortium led by Mike Attanasio in 2024.
She also addressed her famous "Let's be having you" half-time rallying cry to Canaries fans at Carrow Road when the team was losing 2-0 to Manchester City, explaining the atmosphere had grown subdued and she felt the team needed more vocal support.
Defending passion
Delia added: "They were like little church mice, you know, they weren't singing anything, they weren't cheering.
"I wasn't drunk, you know, you're not allowed to be passionate in England unless you're drunk. If you're passionate, my god, you must be drunk, you know, it's not really how English people are."
