Jamie Oliver: Changing The Way We Eat Didn't Make Me Popular!

Begin Again with Davina McCall

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Thursday, 18 September 2025 - 1 hour 17 minutes

In this episode of Begin Again, world-renowned chef and campaigner Jamie Oliver shares the real reason he has fought so hard to change the way we eat and live.

Telling his life story in full, Jamie reflects on growing up in a pub kitchen, navigating school with dyslexia, and rising to fame as a young chef whose cookbooks would go on to sell millions of copies around the world. He opens up about the highs and lows of his career, from building his mentoring restaurant Fifteen to taking on the government with his school dinner campaigns.

Jamie also speaks movingly about family life, his enduring relationship with wife Jools, fatherhood, and the emotional moments that have shaped him most.

With honesty, insight, and passion, Jamie reveals how food became his purpose, how activism became his calling, and why creating change has always been personal.

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(00:00) Intro

(00:01:00) 30 Years of The Naked Chef

(00:02:00) Forming a Relationship With Food

(00:04:43) Jamie the Activist: How It All Began

(00:07:16) Jamie’s School Years and Dyslexia

(00:10:30) Where Jamie’s Confidence Comes From

(00:11:55) Finding Value in Pain and Failure

(00:14:58) From Public Figure to University: Studying Nutrition

(00:17:24) Jamie on Choice, Food Culture, and Unlocking Potential

(00:20:54) Fifteen: Jamie’s Mentorship-Driven Non-Profit Restaurant

(00:33:36) Adobe Ad

(00:34:45) Airbnb Ad

(00:35:58) Fifteen’s Legacy and the Power of Human Connection

(00:43:08) Fame at 23: TV Stardom and Loneliness

(00:46:40) School Dinner Activism and Jamie’s Support Team

(00:53:38) Jamie on Jools and Family Life

(00:58:01) A Memorable Moment at Fifteen

(00:59:16) 25 Year Marriage

(01:02:16) Surprise Letter From Jamie’s Daughter

(01:05:19) Turning 50: Emotional Intelligence and Personal Growth

(01:07:16) Jamie’s New Cookbook and TV Show: Eat Yourself Healthy

Sponsored by:

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Adobe - http://adobe.ly/Davina 

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