Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has revealed that his love of cooking “saved” him from becoming overburdened by his dyslexia.
In a new interview with vlogger and CBBC star Nikki Lily, the so-called Naked Chef spoke about the difficulties he faced during school because of his battle with dyslexia. “I did really badly at school with dyslexia” explained the 44 year old. “And to be honest I still struggle with it a bit today. I've had to learn little skills to get away with it.”
Oliver, who suffered the collapse of his UK restaurant empire last year, went on to explain how his passion for food helped him to focus on other things. “I only read two narrative books and that was a struggle. But luckily I had cooking – and that saved me. Every kid just wants a pat on the back, and a well done.”
“I came out of school with an A in Art and a C in Geology, and everything else was pretty much ungraded.”
Despite not being an academic success, Oliver went on to open restaurants around the world and to release a string of best-selling cookery books. His frank discussion around the topic of dyslexia will surely inspire young people living with the learning difficulty; it is estimated that up to 1 in 10 people in the country live with some degree of dyslexia, which is a life-long challenge that can affect reading and writing skills.
Oliver also recently went on record to reveal his secrets to losing weight, after having lost two stone. During his festive television special Jamie's Easy Christmas Countdown, Oliver revealed the simple trick which helped him with his diet.
For more chef news, check out why Heston Blumenthal’s right hand man has decided to leave the Dinner Group after 20 years.