The 48-year-old chef and his wife Jools reaffirmed their commitment to one another in a ceremony in the Maldives earlier this year, 23 years after they first tied the knot, and the ‘Five Minute Meals’ star was surprised by how much it meant to him as he hadn’t been keen on the idea.
He told The Times magazine: “Getting married again, it’s not really my speed.”
Explaining why he enjoyed it so much, he said: “Because it felt like I’d earned every word that I repeated from 23 years before.
“I used to just be about ideas and energy and ploughing through. But once you’ve got scars and wounds and bruises… I’ve been through some stuff now, so everything means a lot more.”
Jamie and Jools are parents to Poppy, 21, Daisy, 20, Petal, 14, Buddy, 13, and seven-year-old River, and the chef admitted him being in the public eye can be hard for his kids.
He said: “Teenage kids do not want parents that are known. Being Jamie Oliver’s child doesn’t make life easier, I would say, but as with anything in life, they’ve had to learn.”
Buddy has his own YouTube food show but Jamie insisted he hasn’t pushed him into the spotlight, though he’s proud of his son for helping other children get interested in cooking.
He said: “Buddy doesn’t want to be a chef or a TV presenter.
“But the idea of trying to get other kids to cook is a really positive thing. And I certainly don’t push him into it. He’s a good, solid boy, with very loving parents and lots of protection.
“Many children are broadcasting from their phones on TikTok.”
