Jamie Oliver says he wants his children to struggle, despite son Buddy’s TV deal at 13

The TV chef believes hardship is part of success. Photo / David Loftus

Proud of his son’s TV deal, the celebrity chef and father of five also believes experiencing “worry and anxiety” can be character-building.

Jamie Oliver wants his children to “struggle”, despite his 13-year-old son landing a BBC cookery show this year.

The TV chef and father of five said that he thought his children should embrace “worry and anxiety” because he believes hardship is part of success, adding: “Life’s not supposed to be easy.”

Speaking to Essex Life magazine, Oliver, 49, said: “I think confidence, worry and anxiety are all part of a cauldron of different emotions that challenge us.

“And I think that they can present themselves when you’re young, as things that hold you back. But at the same time, as you get older, they provide a tension that makes you do your best work.

“Life’s not supposed to be linear or easy. I want my kids to struggle as much as possible, in a safe and controlled way. If it’s too easy, it’s really vanilla.”

Oliver made his remarks despite his son Buddy landing his own cookery show at the BBC after finding success on YouTube.

The show, Cooking Buddies, will feature “surprise appearances from the Oliver family” and will be co-produced by Oliver’s media company.

It originated on YouTube but has now been turned into a CBBC children’s series.

“Being able to cook is such an important skill for kids to learn, it’s up there with reading and writing, so I’m really proud of Buddy for making this brilliant show that encourages others to give it a go,” the TV chef said previously.

“Full of easy, big-flavour recipes that will keep children happy and healthy, I hope it inspires people to get in the kitchen and try cooking for themselves.”

Oliver was raised in and around The Cricketers, his parent’s pub in Clavering, Essex, where he made his first foray into the kitchen.

Jamie Oliver branched out into cookbooks, restaurant chains and became a voice for improving school dinners.

He left school with two GCSEs before attending Westminster Catering College and working his way up the greasy pole of line cooking.

Scouted from the background of a River Cafe documentary in 1997, the young sous-chef debuted in his own show, The Naked Chef, in 1998.

The TV chef branched out into cookbooks, restaurant chains and became a voice for improving school dinners.

But then Oliver’s restaurant empire went into administration with debts of £83 million ($177m) in May 2019.

The collapse meant the immediate closure of 23 of his 25 restaurants and the loss of 1000 jobs.

Oliver also told the magazine how he faced difficulties at school because of his dyslexia and ADHD, but learned discipline working at his family’s pub.

Oliver married Jools, 49, in 2000, and together they have five children: Poppy Honey, 22, Daisy Boo, 21, Petal Blossom, 15, Buddy Bear, 13, and River Rocket, 8.

He added: “Even today, I say to my girls: you’ve got to brush your teeth, look in the mirror, and decide it’s going to be a positive day, decide to be glass half-full.”

Jamie Oliver’s new cookbook, Simply Jamie, is released in NZ on September 24.