Chef Jamie Oliver says dyslexia documentary was ‘most painful’ thing he has done

By Lauren Del Fabbro, PA Entertainment Reporter

Chef Jamie Oliver says a new documentary about dyslexia was the “most viscerally painful” thing he has ever done.

The 50-year old celebrity chef has lived with the learning difficulty all his life and will now present a one-hour documentary on Channel 4 titled Jamie’s Dyslexia Revolution.

The show will dive into the challenges and issues children with dyslexia face in Britain while asking whether the Government can do more to fix the education system.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, Oliver said: “I’m unpacking quite a lot of stuff.

“I thought I’d buried it but it’s hitting a nerve.

“Genuinely, of all the things I’ve ever done, this documentary is the most viscerally painful,”

“I’ve seen so many high-flying, talented, grown men cry about this — I’ve just done it to you — the concept of being worthless (when you’re) young is real. It’s really triggering.”

According to the NHS dyslexia is described as a “common learning difficulty that causes problems with reading, writing and spelling”.

Having left school with two GCSEs, the chef opened up about the challenges he faced, adding that the kitchen “saved” him.

He said: “I didn’t have any extra time in exams, there were no strategies, just a bit of extra tutoring help.Jamie Oliver

“There was no robust dyslexic knowledge then.”

He also described feeling “stupid, worthless and thick” and developing “a hatred of words and a total resentment for education” while other students called him a “stupid dunce”, leaving him with a “deep-seated feeling of constantly being behind”.

“I didn’t tell mum, dad or the teachers. I just bottled it up inside.

“The kitchen saved me. I knew I had something to offer. I knew I wasn’t a useless piece of shit.”

The Essex-born chef and author is known for hosting cooking shows and documentaries including The Naked Chef and Jamie’s Kitchen along with publishing a series of cookbooks including Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals.

He has also been an avid campaigner over the years including calling on the Government for greater provisions for healthier school meals and playing a role in imposing a sugar tax on soft drinks.

He is now campaigning for greater support in schools, calling for early screenings for dyslexia and neurodiversity.

Oliver added: “We also need more training for teachers. In a two to three-year training course only about half a day is given to neurodiversity.

“I’ve only got love for teachers, we need to appreciate them more.

“But they want to be trained, they want to have the tools to notice, understand and react.”

Jamie’s Dyslexia Revolution can be watched on Channel 4 on June 9 at 9pm.