Jamie: It was frightening but I didn’t have a choice
TV chef tells how he tackled burglar
BRAVE Jamie Oliver has recalled the moment he tackled a man who tried to break into his house.
The Mirror told yesterday how the TV chef, 43, was hailed a hero after chasing the burglar down the street and pinning him down.
Reliving the ordeal, Jamie said: “It was a very odd, frightening scenario. I was lucky to be there to stop something from getting much worse. I didn’t have a choice, so it wasn’t really about bravery. “It’s not a situation you want to get involved with.” Jamie’s wife Jools and their five children were all at home in Highgate, north London, at the time of the incident last week. The man also tried to break into nearby houses including one believed to belong to Kate Moss.
A source said: “Jamie went absolutely mad and sprinted after the man down the street before catching up with him and pinning him down to the floor.
“He was then joined by his driver and a handful of neighbours who helped.”
Scotland Yard said officers were called to reports of “an aggressive male attempting to gain entry to residential addresses in N6”. A man was arrested but later released without charge.
Witnesses said the burglar appeared to be “off his face” on drugs.
Jamie was yesterday unveiled as the new face of supermarket giant Tesco.
Jamie, who promoted rival Sainsbury’s for 11 years, will show shoppers how to swap food high in sugar, salt and calories for healthier options.
He said: “I’m going to work really hard creating exciting meals, short cuts and tips that get people fired up to cook.”