Children are lucky to have dyslexia, says Jamie Oliver

CHILDREN with dyslexia should be told how lucky they are to have it, according to Jamie Oliver, who says the condition is the secret of his business success.

Oliver was classed as a “special needs” child at school but went on to build a multi-million-pound fortune. The television chef and campaigner did not read a novel until he was 38, but in 2015 became only the second British author, after JK Rowling, to sell £150 million worth of books.

Dyslexia gave people a unique perspective and ability to solve problems, said Oliver, who left school with two GCSES.

“If I’m in a meeting I just see the problems different and I obsess about things differently. Some bits of work need to be sweated over and cried over and crafted.

“Because I’m dyslexic, sometimes, when it requires a load of stuff to be done, I just do it. It’s like I’m a massive, 10-ton boulder rolling down the hill,” he told Radio Times.

“I genuinely think that when someone says to you, ‘Johnny’s got dyslexia’, you should get down on your knees, shake the child’s hand and say, ‘Well done, you lucky, lucky boy’.”

It is estimated that as many as one in 10 people in the UK has some degree of dyslexia, according to the NHS. Those with dyslexia have difficulty with reading and spelling, and can also find it hard to plan and follow instructions.

Oliver is bringing out his 20th book, 5 Ingredients, and said it was becoming harder to find new recipe angles.

“5 ingredients sounds slightly cheesy but people want and expect a certain twist. Just giving you a good recipe is not what I do,” he said. “It’s got to have a little slap, a little kick, a little surprise.”