Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver reveals he was inspired to write a children's book after his dyslexia left him struggling to read to his kids - and says he could never type his own cookbooks
Jamie Oliver has shared the touching reason he wrote his first ever children's book, Billy and the Giant Adventure.
The celebrity chef told Australia's The Project on Friday night that his dyslexia left him struggling to read to his kids, and so he made up stories for them instead.
'It just happened. It was a secret little project. And one which just came about me putting my kids to bed at night. I'm dyslexic, so I was never very good at reading' the 47-year-old explained.
'At a certain age, they sort of say, "Dad, don't read. Just make something up from your head." And I just started recording them, so I could remember who the characters were'.
Jamie says that he has always struggled to get his thoughts down and used a dictaphone to plot his cookbooks.
Jamie Oliver (pictured) has shared the touching reason he wrote his first ever children's book. The celebrity chef told Australia's The Project on Friday night that his dyslexia left him struggling to read to his kids, and so he made up stories for them instead
'It just happened. It was a secret little project. And one which just came about me putting my kids to bed at night. I'm dyslexic, so I was never very good at reading' the 47-year-old explained. Pictured with his children
'For me, as a dyslexic kid, words were the enemy, right? They were the thing that sort of frightened me. I could never get my ideas down on paper' he said.
'So you just find other ways. I mean, even in my cookbooks, I've never written or typed them. I've always used dictaphones'.
The chef, who has written 35 cookbooks, has five children - Poppy Honey, 20, Daisy Boo, 19, Petal Blossom, 13, Buddy Bear, 11 and River Rocket, five.
He has been open about his dyslexia and previously revealed he had ‘never got through a book’ before reading Catching Fire in 2013 at the age of 38.
The 391-page sci-fi novel is the sequel to Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
'For me, as a dyslexic kid, words were the enemy, right? They were the thing that sort of frightened me. I could never get my ideas down on paper' he said
The chef, who has written 35 cookbooks, has five children - Poppy Honey, 20, Daisy Boo, 19, Petal Blossom, 13, Buddy Bear, 11 and River Rocket, five. Pictured with his children and wife Jools
It comes after Jamie and his wife Jools decided to renew their wedding vows earlier this week to show their children that they're stronger than ever.
'I wanted to do it on the 20 year anniversary, Covid put an end to that so I thought with the kids leaving school and going to university, I've got two in Leeds at uni, I thought it was a nice moment to let them know that their parents are tight we love them,' Jamie on Thursday's BBC Breakfast.
The star posted to Instagram on Monday to share a collection of snaps from their surprise vow renewal.
The celebrity chef shared an intimate carousel of family snaps to Instagram, after saying 'I do' for a second time at the Soneva Fushi Resort.
Jamie's children's book Billy and the Giant Adventure is out in Australia on April 18
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