Jamie Oliver opens up about the ‘struggles’ he faces with his disability in a new hard-hitting documentary

Jamie Oliver has opened up about his ‘struggle’ with dyslexia in a hard-hitting new Channel 4 documentary.

The world-famous chef, 49, who left school with just two GCSEs before finding fame, will explore Britain’s broken education system.

During the hour-long programme, Jamie explores dyslexia and its impact on 1.3 million children in Britain.

This will also be a personal passion project for the TV star, who has lived with the condition since primary school.

Speaking about the new gig, Jamie said: ‘It’s no secret I struggled at school, but I was one of the lucky ones.

“I knew I wanted to be a chef, so I had to go somewhere, a catering school, where I could thrive.

“The kitchen saved me.”

According to The sunhe added, “But not everyone is so lucky. What happens to those who don’t know where to go?

‘We cannot leave the future of children to luck. The education system must be renewed so that everyone has the best possible chances in life.’

Jamie wants to challenge the government to reform the ‘archaic’ education system, which he says is failing to include children with dyslexia.

His upcoming documentary, airing later this year, explores how schools can celebrate different ways of thinking and redefine success in today’s world.

The TV star added, “I just want to look 13-year-old kids in the eye who are struggling with reading and tell them, ‘You are NOT worthless.’

Tim Hancock, editor-in-chief at Channel 4, said: ‘There is no more effective campaigner than Jamie, and now he is turning his expertise to an issue close to his heart.

‘I’m pleased that Channel 4 is following him back on the campaign trail.’

Dyslexia is a learning problem that mainly affects the accurate and fluent reading and spelling of words.

It can affect individuals of all intelligence levels and can result in poor or inconsistent spelling and writing, along with potential problems following directions or organizing activities.

It comes after Jamie discussed his ‘frustrating’ battle with dyslexia in a lengthy post on Instagram in October 2022.

The chef has been struggling with his learning disability and ADHD since his primary school days, and he often speaks out about his way of dealing with it.

And speaking to his followers, the chef explained that he has “come to terms” with not learning the same way as others, putting his resentment towards school behind him.

Posting a carousel of long text panels, Jamie described his struggle, starting with: “Something I don’t really talk about much is the ongoing struggle I have with words and reading…it’s definitely a love-hate relationship.

‘Early in school it made me very frustrated and resentful of school as an institution, and over the years I have come to realize that I do not learn in the same way as most people, not as a failure but as an opportunity.

‘An opportunity to look at things very differently, I am now older enough to have a little wisdom on my shoulders, which by the way I only acquired through failures and learning from them and evolving and staying authentic from the original dream and try again and again and I realize my grammar here is bad.

“I also use autocorrect, which can get me in trouble sometimes, but that’s my point… if you know what I mean, I did my job.”

Jamie went on to describe his struggles during school, admitting that getting information on paper was “almost impossible” as he remembered “hating words and reading with a passion.”

The chef is known for his cookbooks and has published more than 20 books on different cooking styles and cuisines.

But admitting he has “never written a word” about any of them, the TV personality wrote: “Here I am 46 years old, have written 26 books, apparently one of the most published authors in the world? No, I’m not showing that I’m as shocked as you are…but I’ve never physically written a word!!

‘I used to write my books on a dictaphone and when I could finally afford to hire an editor, I dictated them and that’s how I work. It’s more complicated than that because I’m easily distracted and my workday has to be structured so that I stay invigorated and don’t get bored = fall asleep.’

“But that’s within our gift of trying to manage our time as best we can so we can thrive and find the balance we’re looking for, right?! When I show people around my office, they often say: what are all these people doing? and I say they are very good at things that I am very bad at! and I’m bad at a lot of things… and this is all true.’

Jamie ended the lengthy post by explaining his reasoning for opening up about the issue, explaining that “many of us weren’t raised enough to embrace the currency of failure.”

‘I believe that if our relationship around failure is managed properly, it is the key to a much happier, healthier future. If you’re personally struggling with something, maybe look at it differently and take a different approach.

“Everyone struggles, everyone has a story that can be used to push them forward or pull them back, and I believe the way you choose to look at it determines which path you take… you just have to choose one to find a way around it, do your best. solve thing and problem and please dream.’

Jamie has now healed his previously resentful relationship with his school days and concludes: ‘I’ll conclude by saying that I no longer hold a grudge about school – on the contrary, I think our teachers and our schools are our secret weapon!!

‘I think it’s more than time for an education revolution, especially in times like these! We must spread and truly nurture the seedlings of the future, and that will bear fruit for all that we dream and long for for our declining economy.