Famous People Who Overcame Dyslexia

Jamie Oliver

Cooking has always been in Jamie Oliver's blood. His parents, Trevor and Sally, own a noted pub, the Cricketer's in Clavering, Essex, which has long prided itself on the quality of its food.

The dyslexic Oliver left school with no qualifications, and studied at Westminster Catering College before working as a pastry chef at Antonio Carluccio's restaurant in London's Neal Street, which instilled in him the love of Italian food which has become a mainstay of his own culinary style.

It was while he was a sous-chef at another top London restaurant, the River Café, that Jamie Oliver, easy-going, opinionated and knowledgeable, was 'discovered' by a BBC documentary team.

This led to his own BBC series, The Naked Chef, a fast-paced kitchen-based romp featuring his then-girlfriend, now wife, Juliette Norton, also known as Jools. The couple met in 1993 and currently have two daughters, Poppy Honey (born in March 2002) and Daisy Boo (born in April 2003).

The title, The Naked Chef, was a reference to the simplicity of Oliver's recipes, and has nothing to do with nudity. Oliver has frequently admitted that he wasn't entirely happy with the title, which was devised by producer Patricia Llewellyn. The success of the programme led to the books Return of the Naked Chef and Happy Days with the Naked Chef. His programmes are shown in over 40 countries, including the USA's Food Network, where he is the second most popular presenter.

Additional Links:

Jamie Oliver - Personal web site.
Food Network - Jamie Oliver's bio
Jamie's Kitchen - Non-profit Restaurant designed to employ 15 unemployed youths.

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