How Jamie Oliver became British TV’s most divisive chef
Desperate”. “Nowhere near reality”. “Bewilderingly cringe”. These are not responses to some new governmental gaffe, but damning verdicts on Jamie Oliver’s latest TV show. When the first instalment of Jamie’s Air Fryer Meals aired on Monday night – with sponsorship from Tefal, the company that makes and markets Oliver-branded pans – it was greeted online by a flurry of snarky comments, taking issue with the chef’s attempts to make low-cost, speedy meals. Why did one man faffing around with a table-top convection oven provoke so much ire?
Over the years, Oliver has turned laddy relatability into a hugely successful brand. A quarter of a century after his first cookbook was released, the 48-year-old is still the UK’s biggest-selling non-fiction author, with new shows popping up regularly on Channel 4. His campaign work – on issues like school meals and junk food – has permeated the public consciousness in ways that most celeb-driven causes simply don’t do. But he’s also drawn criticism and mockery along the way (we’re talking about a guy who once and reportedly signs off every email with “big love”,
