Becoming Jamie: early fame and reflections

Jamie Oliver thinks diet-related illness and growing levels of debt are killing the country he loves. In this frank and open conversation, he tells Amol why we need to go further to help people understand the nutritional value of the food they eat. And although his campaign for the sugar tax brought significant change, Jamie says there is still more to do on school meals, breakfast clubs and food packaging.

But Jamie’s mission doesn’t stop at food. He wants children to be taught how to manage their money and he also sets out a case for reforming education so it better serves children with diverse ways of learning. Reflecting on his own dyslexia, he emphasises the importance of giving every child the support they need to thrive.

And following the announcement that Jamie’s Italian will return to the UK, Jamie reflects on what went wrong the first time and how he hopes to make the relaunch a success.

(00:01:42) Reflecting on the cultural shifts throughout his career

(00:06:12) What he thinks of the current state of Britain

(00:08:25) Sugar tax

(00:11:13) Junk food advertising

(00:13:50) What are we getting wrong with obesity?

(00:16:58) Decline in cooking

(00:19:39) School meals and breakfast club standards

(00:23:17) Neurodiversity

(00:28:30) How did dyslexia affect him as a child?

(00:31:00) Why we need to teach financial literacy to kids

(00:35:14) Jamie’s radical ideas

(00:39:15) The decline of British pubs

(00:43:10) Jamie’s Italian – why it failed and why he is bringing it back

(00:46:55) The ups and downs of fame

(00:52:37) Reflecting on his childhood

(00:55:52) Amol’s reflections

GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.uk Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and Your Radical Questions, where you get to put questions to our guests, is released every Monday.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@r4today

Watch on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent.

Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.