I was the no quid chef

Jamie admits he went bust

SUPER-RICH Jamie Oliver went bankrupt for three weeks – after blowing all the dough from his first book. The 42-year-old TV chef, worth €170million, said: “I made a couple of quid from nowhere given to me by the public for buying my first book and I spent all of it and more. I was bankrupt for three weeks but no one knows that.”

He added: “The minute I started to make any money, I’ve never squirrelled cash away.”

Earlier this year Jamie’s business was forced to close six of his Italian restaurants. And the firm is now offloading debt as it battles to turn around the chain’s €11million loss last year.

But Jamie, who found fame with his Naked Chef cookery shows, is still raking in the cash from broadcasting and his recipe books. His combined wealth with wife Jools, 42, is €270million.

He denies he is retiring, but said in an interview he wants to spend more time with his five kids. He added seven-year-old son Buddy has dyslexia like him.

“If you tune into it, it’s a gift,” he said. “I was flourishing as an eight, nine, 10, 11 or 12-year-old in the weekend in the kitchen.”

halina.watts@trinitymirror.com