Jamie Oliver has opened up about the emotional toll of struggling with dyslexia when he was growing up, revealing it made him feel ‘stupid’.
The celebrity chef, 50, has reflected on his own experience with dyslexia in a new hour-long Channel 4 special, titled Jamie’s Dyslexia Revolution.
Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty that causes problems with reading, writing and spelling and difficulties with processing.
Ahead of his documentary’s release, Jamie recalled being branded a ‘stupid dunce’ at school and said his learning issues left him feeling ‘worthless, stupid and thick’.
He told The Sunday Times: ‘I’m unpacking quite a lot of stuff and I’m oversharing with you because I’ve got to f***ing work this s**t out, I thought I’d buried it but it’s hitting a nerve.
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Jamie Oliver has opened up about the emotional toll of making a new TV documentary on his lifelong struggle with dyslexia, calling it the most ‘viscerally painful’ project of his career
Jamie recalled being branded a ‘stupid dunce’ at school and said his learning issues left him feeling ‘worthless, stupid and thick’
‘I didn’t have any extra time in exams, there were no strategies, just a bit of extra tutoring help,’ he revealed. ‘There was no robust dyslexic knowledge then.’
The Essex-born chef, now a household name thanks to The Naked Chef, said the kitchen ‘saved’ him and gave him purpose when the classroom let him down.
He added: ‘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 s***.’
The NHS says dyslexia affects up to one in ten Brits, often causing trouble with reading, writing and spelling. But many, like Jamie, excel in other areas such as problem-solving and creativity.
Jamie is using his platform to call for urgent changes in schools, including early dyslexia screening and more teacher training in neurodiversity.
He said: ‘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.’
His hard-hitting documentary, airing soon on Channel 4, will question whether the UK education system is doing enough to support children with dyslexia – and if not, what needs to change.
Jamie has already met with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and says this campaign is even tougher than his famous fight for healthier school dinners.
The hour-long Channel 4 special, Jamie’s Dyslexia Revolution, will see the celebrity chef, 50, explore the condition and its impact on 1.3 million kids in the UK
The Essex-born chef, now a household name thanks to The Naked Chef and Jamie’s Kitchen, said the kitchen ‘saved’ him and gave him purpose when the classroom let him down (pictured in 2010)
The upcoming documentary, explores how schools can celebrate diverse ways of thinking and redefine success in today’s world (pictured on This Morning 2020)
‘Not acknowledging or allowing a six, seven or eight-year-old to express their intelligence… that’s kind of child abuse,’ he said.
‘This is heavy, because neurodivergent kids are falling between the cracks. They end up resenting education, which leads to anger, frustration, poor health, crime, prison and all the horrible things you don’t want to think about.
He added: ‘I ran from school thinking, ‘F*** you,’ but I was lucky because I had the kitchen.’
Tim Hancock, commissioning editor at Channel 4, said: ‘There’s no more effective campaigner than Jamie, and now he’s turning his expertise to a subject close to his heart.
‘I’m thrilled Channel 4 is following him back on the campaign trail.
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects accurate and fluent word reading and spelling.
It can affect individuals of all intelligence levels and can result in poor or inconsistent spelling and writing – along with potential struggles following directions or being organised.