"This is the first time when I’ve been in no control" - Jamie Oliver on working on his docuseries "Chef's Table: Legends"

Celebrity chef and author Jamie Oliver pondered over the time he spent in Chef's Table: Legends. The series explores the expertise and culinary work of different chefs. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he said working on the show was therapeutic. He mentioned:

“Early in my career, don’t ask me why, I was genius or mad, but I started making all of my content. I set up a production company as a chef that didn’t know what he was doing.”

Jamie Oliver added:

“I’ve always been in control, and this is the first time when I’ve been in no control.”

He felt sorry for director Brian McGinn, as McGinn had to go through a lot of the chef’s old content. He shared that all the stories he covered in the U.K. also made sense to audiences in the U.S.

Oliver felt that although the two countries were different, they had many similarities and offered opportunities and privileges. Jamie Oliver explained that they had produced a lot of content and planned to keep offering it at no cost.

He believed that children in both the UK and the US should learn about food early on so they could make better choices as they grew up. In a recent interview with Lorraine, he reflected on working in the series, saying:

“I hadn't really looked back for 25 years and I think it was like more than anything. When the show was made, I didn't know what to expect and it was so nice to see my kids see it.”

Jamie Oliver walks down memory lane to his BBC show, The Naked Chef

Oliver said Chef's Table: Legends highlighted his ongoing mission to help people connect with cooking and recognize the power of food to transform lives, irrespective of their backgrounds.

Jamie Oliver explained that he encouraged the public to cook more, save money, and live healthier, happier lives. In 1999, his show The Naked Chef was broadcast by the BBC. Reminiscing about the time when the show came out, he said:

“We were trying to get boys in the kitchen and they weren't really in the kitchen then. And I think even though men and women were going to work and putting in a shift there were men around the country saying, ‘What's for dinner love?’”

Jamie Oliver said:

“And I think the ladies of the country were like, ‘Well, if that if that boy can do it then maybe you can put an effort in twice a week.’ So, it was interesting.”

He shared that his early days on the show were a bit rocky with the crew, who initially thought he was causing some kind of chaos. However, over time, they connected with his cooking, and interestingly, more men ended up becoming part of his audience.

He also spoke about how his work, through campaigns, documentaries, and books, was always guided by what the public cared about. Jamie Oliver viewed the audience as his boss and paid close attention to their concerns, which helped shape the direction of his projects.

Trending

Also Read: Chef’s Table: All the new chefs in the brand-new season of the Netflix food series

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback