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He Still Doesn’t Like Me

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Jamie Oliver has admitted that his ‘hero‘ Marco Pierre White still ‘doesn’t like him at all’.

In a candid discussion, the 49-year-old chef openly discussed the past issues between them, stating that upon their initial encounter, Marco, who is 63 years of age, significantly impacted or undermined him negatively.

Marco once referred to Jamie as “a chef who looks like he plays the drums and carries a bit of extra weight” in an interview with The Sun from 2007. Jamie retaliated by labeling Marco as having “the charisma of a Mafia boss.

Later on, Marco criticized him anew for being “unrealistic” and unwilling to acknowledge his mistakes following Jamie’s accusation that Brexit was the cause of his failing restaurant business empire.

In the latest episode of the Louis Theroux podcast, Jamie clarified the ongoing dispute by stating that Marco continues to harbor feelings of dislike towards him, yet he continued to express admiration for Marco as a fellow culinary artist.

Jamie said: ‘Oh he doesn’t like me at all, still doesn’t.

I have no personal or professional connection with him that would allow me to understand his need for control since we haven’t worked together before.

To put it another way, I might as well admit that our relationship isn’t great, but what’s crucial is that he has been significantly influential within our industry.

He expressed that Marco was exceptional: ‘Back when I was just starting out as a chef, the culinary world seemed dull and dated to me. But then Marco appeared, and he was amazing! His vibe and approach were so refreshing, making him my idol without a doubt.’

Later on, we had a photoshoot together for a day which turned out wonderfully pleasant. However, a week after that, he gave me quite a tough time in a two-page feature.

I took great joy in encountering him, yet he left me utterly defeated. A moment later, one might ponder, “That was rather underhanded.

However, sometimes you encounter individuals whom you grow fond of, only for them to seem to think less of you. Yet, I find it acceptable. I have no expectations or requirements from such an individual.

I continue to believe he was a groundbreaking figure. For a significant phase in my existence, he remained an idol for me. However, such is the nature of life; it isn’t exclusive to Marco, but many others have experienced similar circumstances.

In 2019 Marco hit out at Jamie for blaming Brexit over the collapse of his restaurant empire.

In May of that year, 25 restaurants under the brands ‘The Naked Chef’, Italian, Barbecoa, and Fifteen were forced to shut down due to bankruptcy, resulting in approximately 1,000 job losses.

On Radio 4, Jamie discussed how the high street’s transformation into an “Uber-like” marketplace and the unpredictability of Brexit have impacted people’s dining preferences, leading to the failures he mentioned.

However, during a talk at his Steakhouse Bar & Grill located within The Cube in Birmingham, Marco countered the allegations and expressed doubt about whether Jamie might be suffering from delusions.

He mentioned that he had endured a truly awful encounter at a Jamie Oliver restaurant located at Gatwick Airport the previous year, owing to a prolonged delay in receiving his meal. This incident might imply that the quality of service could have been a contributing factor to a decline in their business.

Marco stated: “Jamie claims his business collapse is due to Brexit, yet I can’t wrap my head around that assertion at all.

‘Wouldn’t that mean then all restaurants have gone bust too?

I believe he’s reaching for an weak excuse by blaming Brexit. I personally find it inappropriate to lay blame on Brexit because we’re all facing similar challenges. If Brexit were truly the culprit, we’d all be struggling financially.

‘How can you blame everyone but yourself? Is he delusional?’ 

In the past, Marco has only dined at a Jamie Oliver restaurant once, which was located at Gatwick Airport. He has visited this particular restaurant on two occasions, with his latest visit taking place last year.

On both occasions, I found myself waiting an excessively long period for my meal. It was quite unpleasant. Everyone has their off moments; it’s just part of being human.

On both instances, I must admit the experience was uniformly poor. I didn’t have a say in our choice of restaurant on either occasion; it was decided by the company I was keeping. However, I’d advise against visiting another Jamie’s Italian after such experiences.

‘Even if you enjoyed your food, bad service always leaves a sour taste in the mouth.’ 

For more than a decade, this duo has been involved in verbal conflicts, dating back as far as 2014 when Jamie accused his counterpart of being a ‘mental intimidator’.

But he added he did not ‘hate’ Marco and added he was once his childhood hero.

In 2010, Marco likewise spoke out against Jamie, accusing him of being unfair for branding turkey twizzlers unhealthy back in 2005, a campaign that led to their ban from schools.

It came after Marco  signed an advertising deal for Bernard Matthews, which produced the twizzlers.

About a year after, he asserted that Jamie wasn’t truly considered a professional chef since he hadn’t received a Michelin star. In other words, his culinary skills were not fully acknowledged within the chef community.

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2025-01-28 12:24

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