Jamie Oliver

Oliver married former model Juliette Norton, in 2000. They have five children; Poppy Daisy, Petal, Buddy and River.

Jamie Trevor Oliver was born to Trevor and Sally, owners of a pub and restaurant called ‘The Cricketers’, where he began working at the age of 8. By the time he was 11, he could outdo the kitchen staff with his chopping skills.

In 1989, at the age of 14, Jamie formed the band, ‘Scarlet Division’ with composer and musician, Leigh Haggerwood.

Two years later, after an ordinary school life at Newport Free Grammar School, he joined Westminster Catering College and then, obtained a City and Guilds National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in home economics.

Although, he started his career as a pastry chef at Antonio Carluccio's Neal's Yard under his mentor Gennaro Contaldo, it was as a sous chef at ‘The River Cafe’ that Jamie Oliver was recognized and was catapulted onto a world cooking platform.

His show, ‘The Naked Chef’ debuted on BBC Two on April 14, 1999 and ran for three seasons.

In 2000, he launched ‘Pukka Tukka’ on Channel 4 and signed a $2-million deal with the UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's. Although it made him richer by $1.2 million every year, the relationship soured due to his disdain for supermarkets.

In 2002, his show, ‘Jamie’s Kitchen’, a documentary series, had a successful run. The show followed Jamie Oliver as he as he attempts to train a group of fifteen disadvantaged youth. The concept of the show included that those who complete the course will be offered jobs at Oliver's new restaurant ‘Fifteen’. Out of the fifteen contestant five managed to secure a job.

In 2003, the four-part sequel to ‘Jamie’s Kitchen’, ‘Return to Jamie’s Kitchen’ was launched. He was voted the ‘Most Inspiring Political Figure’ for the ‘Feed Me Better’ campaign that worked toward cutting out junk food in the diets of British schoolchildren. The British Government pledged to $280 million on school dinners.

His first TV series The Naked Chef that ran from 1999 to 2001, dealt with simple yet delicious dishes that could be cooked easily. The success of the programme led to the publication of the books, ‘Return of the Naked Chef’ and ‘Happy Days with the Naked Chef’.