Joining the MasterChef family for a two-week stint, Jamie Oliver was delighted to introduce the cast and crew to some very special guests, his mum Sally and dad Trevor!
Joining the series via video link, the cameo comes as no surprise, with Jamie, 48, very open about his close-knit relationship with his parents.
It was in the kitchen of the family’s pub that the veteran chef first began in the food industry, and he’s never looked back.
“I grew up a real country boy in Clavering, in the county of Essex, about 18 miles [29km] from Cambridge,” he shared with Flow magazine.
“By age five, I was already helping out in my parents’ pub The Cricketers, washing glasses and chopping veg for one pound an hour. I was really good with the knife even back then, and to be honest, I cooked up some really good grub, even as a kid.”
CONSTANT SUPPORT
Behind him every step of the way since his TV debut on The Naked Chef, Jamie credits his parents with teaching him the value of hard work.
“My parents also taught me something else really important: a great work ethic and how to treat others with respect and friendliness, and how to stay polite even when you’re stressed and your feet are killing you,” Jamie says, traits he hopes to pass onto his own kids, Poppy, 22, Daisy, 21, Petal, 15, Buddy, 13, and seven-year-old River.
“I sometimes wish my kids could help their grandparents out now and again, and learn all that. Back then, I understood, if you want to get anywhere, you have to roll up your sleeves and get on with it.”