Jamie Oliver Shares New Insights Regarding His Marriage — Says Wife Jools Keeps His Ego 'In Check’

Jun 04, 2021

Jamie Oliver is one of the most celebrated chefs in the world. His impeccable talent in cooking has brought him fame not just on the food front but also in the entertainment industry. His name is on the same level as celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, but unlike Ramsay who is known for his severe and impatient manner, Oliver is described as having a "cheeky manner." IMDB describes his personality as down to earth, which has won him multitudes of fans around the world. 

While Oliver's celebrity chef status is something that defines his presence on the big screen, he has made it clear many times over the years that his value for his family is above everything else. His marriage to his wife Jools has been strong since 2000, and he has taken a few chances in the past to speak about her in the media. 

The Mirror reported that Oliver, 46, and Jools, 47, have been together since they were teenagers. Together, the couple shares five children together — Poppy, 18, Daisy, 17, Petal, 11, Buddy, nine, and River, three. They celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2020, and while the pair were set to renew their wedding vows in June 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a postponement. 

In a recent interview, Oliver opened up on the latest episode of Fraser T Smith's podcast, "12 Questions," Oliver revealed that his wife of nearly 21 years and their three daughters along with his female colleagues have helped to keep him grounded and keep his ego in check. 

Jools' full name is Juliette Norton, and she is not as good a cook as her husband is. BBC America reported that Oliver said Jools' cooking is "hideous." However, like any other marriage, Jools doesn't want a tutorial on how to cook from her husband. "I can’t tell my Mrs. what to do," Oliver said, adding, "She’s not interested if I see her chopping dodgily, probably because our relationship works is because she doesn’t see me as any kind of expert at cooking or anything like that. I tell her it’s great but to be honest it’s fairly hideous."

Jools is an "amazing mum" according to the chef, and the news outlet reported that she’s the one who keeps things in order as he manages his large empire of restaurants, television shows and cookbooks. Jools has also helped to keep the chef grounded in his life. 

Speaking on the podcast, Hello Magazine reported that Oliver said, "I think we all have to control our egos. I mean, my best way of controlling my ego was just to work with lots of women, to be honest. And I think they keep me in line."

He continued, "Like, for the last 20 years, we’ve been about 80% ladies in the business, and somehow it’s just worked very well for me." He also added, "And they don’t sit there telling me how great I am all day, let’s just put it that way. They keep me in check, as well as my wife. And now my daughters."

Over the years, Oliver has also shared his tips on how he keeps his marriage and family unit strong.

PEOPLE reported that Oliver said in September 2020, "Marriage is really hard, you are going to spend a proportion of it not liking your other half and vice versa," and added, "So I think not holding grudges, being able to move on is really important. Just keeping at it."

The ability to let go of grudges is important for the chef. "Try and not hold grudges. I know this sounds really cheesy but try to be romantic with presents, be really thoughtful with things,” Oliver continued. “As you get older you use up a lot of your old tricks, so you have to try things."

Spending quality time together is also important for Oliver and his wife. Naturally, being married to a celebrity chef means that food is one of the best ways to show love. Oliver said, "Like cooking a meal — I know Jools loves it when it's Friday night, and maybe the kids have all been fed, and it's just me and her. I'm like, 'What do you want babe?'”

In the end, Oliver loves marriage but he also said you "have to admit it's going to be hard. But I love Jools to bits and I'm really proud of the woman she has become and she’s growing into. I think a lot of women struggle with ageing but I've really enjoyed seeing Jools change throughout the years, I really have." 

For Oliver, “She's definitely my best mate." Being married to your best friend means "we sometimes burst out laughing because we can’t stand each other at that moment in time. But also we know each other so well and it’s a comfortable, safe place," he added. 

What do you think of Jamie Oliver's relationship with his wife? Tell us what you think about the lovebirds, and be sure to pass this story onto your friends as well.