Jamie Oliver reflects on dark side of raising kids in spotlight

Jamie Oliver has discussed how “tricky” life can be for his five children growing up in the public eye.

The 49-year-old celebrity chef and restaurateur spoke with PEOPLE magazine before the forthcoming season of Netflix’s Chef’s Table: Legends and his 10 Cooking Skills for Life programme in the U.S., which are both ready to premiere on Monday, April 28, 2025.

While discussing his new projects, Oliver, who shares his five kids, Poppy, 23, Daisy, 23, Petal, 16, Buddy, 14, and River, 8, with his wife, Jools, talked about his family life.

He said, “Being the kids of Jamie Oliver, is also tricky. Depending on the kid and their personality, some of them are super embarrassed of me. They don't want me to pick them up from school, God forbid, say anything.”

The father of five, who has been a household name for more than 20 years, added, “I don't think being us is easy, and that I'm not complaining, I'm just saying it's, getting the balance.”

“Just the attention of your dad being known, normally for the right reasons, is embarrassing when you're a teenage girl. But now I've got a 22 and a 23-year-old and they fully handle it, they've got it down,” Oliver noted.