E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Getty Images file
Jamie Oliver in March 2012, on left, and in 2006 on right. The photo on left was one of those that sparked controversy over the chef's weight.
British celebrity chef and TV host Jamie Oliver has worked hard to ensure that schoolchildren in both the U.S. and his native U.K. eat nutritious meals, hosting "Jamie's Food Revolution" in the U.S. and "Jamie's School Dinners" in Britain.
But when his own eating habits were questioned, Oliver wasn't too happy about it.
Less-than-flattering photos taken upon his arrival in Australia provoked a journalist to ask if the chef had gained weight recently.
"I don't know. I am very healthy," Oliver said, according to Australia’s Herald Sun. "Are you from a tabloid? Thank you for noticing, you b----."
Oliver later explained his irritable sentiment by admitting he’d had a late night out drinking with some friends, and wasn’t thinking straight when he made the comments.
"My brain did not quite understand that question,” he said.
Known for his 30-minute meals as well as his nutritional advocacy campaigns, Oliver unleashed the “Food Revolution” series in an effort to curb America’s obesity problem, and won an Emmy Award after the show’s first season in 2010.
He was in Australia to launch the first Australian Ministry of Food, a school providing free cooking lessons and healthy-eating education.
Despite his good intentions however, the famed culinary expert admits a heavy work schedule can be a challenge to his fitness regime.
“I do my best,” Oliver told reporters. “Working in the food business is quite hard when someone is constantly asking you to try things…I eat fresh, I train twice a week. I could definitely do better, but I am trying to do my best like most people when they hit 30.”
Oliver's U.S. spokesperson, Kimberly Yorio, told ABC News, “I can say for a fact he hasn’t gained any weight. They were bad pictures.”
Fans have risen to the chef's defense. A column on Yahoo UK urges critics to "leave him alone!"
And on the ABC article, reader Holly writes "Does skinny always equal to healthy? No. He’s a man that loves his food and I’m sure eats well. I think he is an inspiration to others and is fighting for our children to eat healthier, live longer and generally be in good health. You shouldn’t criticize this man, you should learn from him."
Was the reporter rude to ask about his weight? Was Oliver in the right to respond as he did? Tell us on Facebook.
Related content:
Leave a Comment:
Jamie Oliver is a fat moron who fancies himself the next Gordon Ramsay. His cooking style lacks a lot and his attempts to 'teach' youngsters to become kitchen help failed miserably because of his aggressive approach -- and his swearing. His TV shows are not worth watching. In one of his shows that took place 'across America' had one scene where a cook in the south asked him "Where did you learn to cook? Don't you know ANYTHING?" I enjoyed that scene, but the rest of the show was a bust.
Jamie Oliver, like other diet gurus, CAN be held to a higher standard of fitness and weight precisely because he makes a living criticizing others and supposedly teaching healthy cooking. His filthy mouth and bulldozer manner makes him a questionable role model for any campaign targeted at children. That's what the TV's OFF button (or change channel button) is for.
mathuin...at least he has accomplished something, wtf have you done? Nothing probably, but call others who have achieved "morons." What, are you 13 years old?
Has he looked in the mirror lately?
Actually Jamie should be fortunate (making a good living) and should take a light hearted approach to critics because it is easier to dish it out but can you take it. We all hate to be criticized but that is life regardless. Don't let your ego destroy you :)
Jamie may have gained some weight (or they could just be bad photos as his U.S. spokeperson said). However, he is not obese. I think it is great he is trying to teach kids what they should or shouldn't eat to be healthy. I also think it's great he's showing the crap kids are fed at school. Food services divisions of schools could do a much better job with the quality of the food they feed our kids and could do it for the same cost. That's been proven.
ramsey doesn't like him !!!
all the better reason to like Jamie Oliver!
Jaime is not a "diet guru". he is a cheif who wants people to eat decent meals. Can you get fat on decent meals made from whole foods and organic produce? Can you have issues with weight on these "decent" foods? Yes, its not the panecea of controlled weight to eat only organic non-contaminated adultuated food from resturants, fast food and frozen dinners. There are vegans that are overweight.
Calorie control and portion control is not automatic with well sourced good food. In addition, there are other variables to weight gain that can cause issues such as genetics. Personally, I would rather talk to someone who has similar issues with weight loss that understands the difficulty with loosing weight than some natually skinny person who has never experieinced the issues involved.
Jaime is doing great work, informing us of the pink slime and other cost saving methods schools and the FDA are using to feed children and the poor. Its no different than the slave masters, lords of the relms ect. leaving the worst of the food for the pesants and slaves to eat. How do you think hagis, fatback, ribs ect got there origins?
Having worked in the food industry in the past I know that the hours you work and the constant involvement with the food are killers to the waist line.Yes,not all chefs are on the heavy side,but they tend to be.I would bet though that they are not heavy because they eat crap filled,over processed,and artificial food-it is because most restaurant foods are on the rich side.I apreciate that Oliver is bringing attention to what we feed to our kids,and how it affects them.
People are too skinny. People are too fat.
regardless of the circumstances surrounding his obvious weight gain, he should not have responded to the reporter like that. it was rude and classless. On another note, I heard him speaking to his British audience in Europe a year or so ago regarding Americans and his view on our manners--not what we eat but how we eat. I was not impressed. He was judging us and critiquing us to the European audience. Tactless and judgemental. I was done with him then and his comment to the reporter is just the icing on the cake confirming what I knew all along.
And Americans aren't judgmental of how people in other parts of the world eat?
Face it, Americans eat too much. When I went to restaurants in Europe I was struck by three things. First, the food was delicious. Second, there weren't huge piles of it on the plate. It was just enough food to be satisfying but not enough to take home. Third, the Europeans I saw took their time when eating. They often eat in courses, they pause between courses, and they don't rush through the meal. Americans typically eat too much and too fast, not realizing just how much they are eating.
He looks fat to me. I've watched him - well, used to, since he was the nude chef or whatever that show was called. He always seemed obnoxious to me and the more successful he became, the more obnoxious.
His brain didn't understand the question? It seemed to throw out a sensitive, thought provoking answer.
Blech.
Perhaps when it finally sunk in that no one is paying attention to his Eat Healthy campaign, he if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. It's his life (and health) to destroy.
The internet comment section is one reason I'll never try to do anything nice publicly. The moment you show the slightest bit of weakness everyone comes out of the woodwork to attack you anonymously. Go ahead, ignore him, let your kids eat public school lunches. French fries and pizza sauce are great vegetables, I use them in my salads all the time.
Sounds as lf he was doing some healthy drinking the night before.
Jamie, saw you on TV in West Virginia, getting people to eat right. So, time to practice what you preach. Quit drinking so much, get on a raw food diet, and exercise like you're supposed to. It cannot be: Do as I say, not as I do? That's crap. Lead by example. Otherwise you've lost all your integrity.
StiffLeftJab.com
Whoever thinks Ramsey hates Jamie Oliver is a friggin moron, you obviously have never spent time in England and watched their yearly holiday get together. Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey and I believe Ainsley Harriot do a christmas cook-a-long, every year. They show off dishes and things they make for their family and teach everyone at home how to do it too. Gordon and Oliver are two different sides of the same coin and there is much respect between them, just because Gordon yells and screams does not mean he's mad or angry and just because Jamie doesn't yell, also doesn't mean he's a pushover. The reason Jamie is having so much trouble changing our school menus, is because of posters above who criticize him about weight or some other trivial detail. He never said "Hey everybody, eat great and lose weight!!" No he said "Eat healthy, and be healthy. Remove bad foods from children's lunches!"
Do you really like the thought of your children eating pink slime mixed with their ground beef? Or the 10 spoonfulls of sugar in a glass of chocolate milk? Yet our children eat these things, and we have an obesity epidemic, and NO ONE knows how it started!!! Really..... REALLLY?!?!? I've seen this food in my cafeteria in the 80's and I still struggle with weight. I know for a fact because before I went to school I was a skinny kid always outside, once I got school foods, I got bigger and bigger and got lazier and lazier, now tell me food wasn't involved in that. (Just because I got lazy doesn't mean I got stupid, I am studying to be a doctor) Don't criticize someone who is trying to help people understand what is in their food. Any child who can't pick out a potato as a potato and can only pick out a potato shown as french fries...... That is just disgraceful as a nation...........
You should be able to judge by the obesity epidemic that people hate being told what to eat, almost as much as they hated having the cloak removed from their sin by Christ! As a rule, people have an aversion to doing the right thing.
Look at the angle of the shot, whatever is closest to the camera looks larger. If he has put on weight it was minimal and those of us over 30 (ahem) understand the difficulty of staying in good shape. I would rather have a few extra pounds from good quality food than be skinny on a junk food diet. And a few extra pounds over the ideal less of an issue than being too thin.
I do not think Jamie is having a food problem-it looks like he is having an alcohol problem.
Lolol. All chefs gain weight eventually.
Talk about a non-apology apology! "I was out drinking last night... my brain didn't understand the very simple yes/no question."
Step on a scale, Jamie. I assure you, the answer is yes.
He's such an el porko. He reminds me of porky pig.
That was uncalled for. If he was insulted, he could have at least tried to be funny and ask her when the due date was? It would put the point across and everyone could have had some comic relief for her rude question.
Classy.
That's J.O. on the left? Honest to God, I thought it was John frickin' Goodman. Lose some weight lad.