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THE CELEBRITY CHEF, 50, IS ADVOCATING FOR INCREASED DYSLEXIA SUPPORT IN SCHOOLS, URGING EARLY SCREENINGS AND MORE NEURODIVERSITY AWARENESS 14:26, 01 Jun 2025 Jamie Oliver has shared how
filming a new documentary on dyslexia was the 'most viscerally painful' thing he's ever done. The 50-year-old celebrity chef, who has faced learning difficulties throughout
his life, will host a one-hour documentary on Channel 4 called Jamie’s Dyslexia Revolution. The programme will explore the challenges and difficulties that children with dyslexia encounter
in Britain and question whether the Government could enhance the education system. "I'm unpacking quite a lot of stuff," Jamie said in an interview with The Sunday Times.
"I thought I’d buried it but it’s hitting a nerve. Genuinely, of all the things I’ve ever done, this documentary is the most viscerally painful." He added: "I’ve seen so many
high-flying, talented, grown men cry about this — I’ve just done it to you — the concept of being worthless (when you’re) young is real. It’s really triggering." READ MORE:
Doctor's two easy habits to stop you feeling 'tired all day' The NHS describes dyslexia as a 'common learning difficulty that causes problems with reading, writing, and
spelling'. Estimates indicate that as many as one in ten people in the UK may experience some level of dyslexia. Dyslexia is a lifelong problem that can pose daily challenges. However,
people with dyslexia frequently excel in other abilities, particularly problem-solving and creative thinking. Article continues below For Jamie, this was cooking. Having left school with two
GCSEs, he said the kitchen 'saved' him amid a number of challenges. He also described feeling 'stupid, worthless and thick' and developing 'a hatred of words and a
total resentment for education'. Other children called him a 'stupid dunce', which gave him a deep-rooted fear of being left behind. Jamie continued: "I didn’t have any
extra time in exams, there were no strategies, just a bit of extra tutoring help. There was no robust dyslexic knowledge then." Later, he added: "I didn’t tell mum, dad or the
teachers. I just bottled it up inside. The kitchen saved me. I knew I had something to offer. I knew I wasn’t a useless piece of s***." READ MORE: BBC's Romesh Ranganathan makes
major career announcement The chef and author from Essex is recognised for his cooking shows and documentaries such as The Naked Chef and Jamie’s Kitchen, as well as for writing a series of
cookbooks, including Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals. Throughout the years, he has also actively campaigned for increased government support for healthier school meals and has contributed to the
implementation of a sugar tax on soft drinks. Now, he is advocating for increased dyslexia support in schools, urging for earlier screenings and greater neurodiversity awareness. The
50-year-old explained that two to three-year teacher training courses only spend a small period focused on neurodiversity. "I’ve only got love for teachers, we need to appreciate them
more," he said. "But they want to be trained, they want to have the tools to notice, understand and react." Article continues below Jamie’s Dyslexia Revolution can be watched
on Channel 4 on June 9 at 9pm.