When you gain a few pounds, the last thing you want is for someone to mention it. Even when it’s someone you love… my first reaction is that surge of “fight or flight” adrenalin kicking in, and if it’s someone I know well, I would probably respond with, “STFU, a–hole.” So it’s good that I’m not a celebrity, with the public and media cataloguing each pound lost and gained and asking about my weight constantly. But when it’s celebrity chef and “healthy eating” champion Jamie Oliver, you’d think he might be a bit more inured to people expecting him to practice what he preaches. So when he made an appearance at a Q&A in Australia this week, people noticed that he seemed a bit jowly and like he had put on a few pounds – nothing drastic, maybe ten pounds or so, but it went to his face. You can see some pics here. So when he was asked about it, Jamie responded a lot like I would – he called the reporter a “bitch.” Damn.
He’s used to taking politicians and parents to task over healthy eating. But when questioned about his own diet in Australia this week, Jamie Oliver wasn’t quite so happy. The celebrity chef, 36, bristled when asked by a female reporter if he had gained a few pounds recently and called her a ‘b****’.
When the father-of-four was questioned on whether he had filled out a bit he replied: ‘I don’t know. I am very healthy. Are you from a tabloid? Thank you for noticing, you b****.’
It wasn’t clear whether or not Oliver was joking during the outburst. However Oliver admitted he tried to watch his weight and worked out twice a week, but said there was room for improvement.
He explained: ‘I do my best. Working in the food business is quite hard when someone is constantly asking you to try things. I eat fresh. I train twice a week. I could definitely do better, but I am trying to do my best like most people when they hit 30.’
His U.S. spokeswoman Kimberly Yorio insisted her client’s weight remained the same. She told Australia’s ABC News: ‘I can say for a fact he hasn’t gained any weight. They were bad pictures.’
At the Q&A session on responsible eating on Tuesday, Oliver admitted he was not thinking straight after ‘a few drinks’ the night before.
He said: ‘I went out last night and had a few drinks after a very long day, (and) my brain did not quite understand that question.’
So they may go some way to explain his unguarded and candid response.
The Naked Chef is in Australia to launch his second Ministry of Food, in partnership with The Victorian Government and the Good Foundation, to attack state-wide obesity. The new scheme will see AU$5million put towards helping teach cooking techniques and nutrition to participants in a larger attempt to attack obesity as a whole in the country.
[From The Mail]
Yeah, so it sounds like booze weight/bloat. He’d been partying his arse off in Australia during a business trip, and when someone asked about it, he attacked. But I have to say… I’ve seen Englishmen really read someone the riot act, and calling a reporter a “bitch” is relatively tame. Englishmen love words like “tw-t” and “c–t”. I’m just saying… it totally could have been worse. As for Jamie and his alleged booze bloat… while I admire his healthy eating campaign, he should know that if he’s going to be the public face of a “get healthier” movement, people are going to call him out when he personally falls short.
Photos of Oliver in January and February, courtesy of WENN and Pacific Coast News.
Guess he can “dish it out” but can’t take it.
ha!
goop is not going to be happy about this (the weight gain).
I hate the way he talks — that lisp makes me cringe.
Oh man, same here. I know he can’t help it, but the high-speed lisping makes me think he’s unintentionally spitting in the food, fair or not.
But literally, the thing that can be literally judged to be literally kind of annoying is literally the number of times he literally says ‘literally’ when he’s talking. I literally have to stop watching after a few minutes because I literally think that my head will literally bust off of its foundations. I literally think that I’m literally living out some kind of Scanners-style scenario and I’m literally burdened with some kind of pre-emptive guilt because I literally know that some poor soul is literally going to be called for the task of the grim work of literally scraping my gray matter from the walls. Zoiks, so literally, you know?
Why is his new baby son named Buddy Bear? GAK!
LOL! I have the same feeling (that he’s spitting in the food).
I can just imagine him saying it, in a jokingly defensive manner. He has 3 daughters, he clearly loves and respects women, and he has revolutionised cooking in schools and for busy families. I have huge respect for Jamie Oliver, he has tried to help disadvantaged communities in the UK and the US. His heart is in the right place.
I had more repeat for him before I ate at his restaurant in Covent Garden last month. my daughter loves every food show in the world, so we took her there for her birthday.
One of the most expensive and worst italian meals I have had out at a decent place. They were out of half the menu by 6pm, the pasta was uncooked, unseasoned, expensive. All in all really bad. Sorry Jaime, you calling a reporter a bitch doesn’t make me want to give your places another chance.
It could even be some sort of medication causing the weight gain… but I wouldn’t rule out booze at all.
I don’t know. It’s offensive of him to say that… but I’d probably have done the same thing.
What goes around comes around – he can’t have it both ways. Pushing healthy lifestyles on the kiddies and then getting fat himself.
I completely disagree. There is this myth that if you have a healthy lifestyle you will all of a sudden have a model-like stick figure. Not true. Just because he isn’t tiny is in NO WAY evidence that he has been eating unhealthy.
And promoting a healthly lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to have to be 100% strict about it. It just means healthy options should be the majority of what you eat, with some exceptions. You know, moderation.
while that may be the case in some situations, he has gained weight in a relatively short amount of time, which doesn’t happen in a healthy way.
You are making MASSIVE assumptions. Do you have a timeline on which you have charted his variations in weight? Anything factual to back up your claims that he gained weight in a short amount of time? Keep in mind that you can film something a long time before anyone sees it on tv.
I think sometimes the need for reason is over ridden by the need to judge.
Jamie Oliver isn’t so much about being super-healthy, he’s more about avoiding artificial junk and eating real food instead. Real food sometimes contains fat, sugar etc. So I don’t expect him to be super fit.
He’s not obese, he’s normal-looking.
I think he looks like a fellow who enjoys his food, eats well but isn’t hysterical about health. I love people like that. Being all muscle and no fat, all greens and no cake is not the only way to be healthy.
I co-sign on that and I’ll add that he’s fucking hot.
Jamie has always been a little “soft”. He burst onto the scene at a relatively young age (for a celebrity chef) so its no surprise that as he is getting older he is putting on some weight.
This shouldn’t even be a story.
Dude’s gained weight. You can do that while still eating healthy stuff, just eating too much of it.
I can get why it was brought up, considering what he promotes, but it’s still kind of rude to point it out, and his response was rude too.
Exactly.
I dont see a weight gain at all. WTF is everyone talking about? And how on earth do we hate him because he didnt call a male reporter a bitch? He’s english, he would have called him an f@#$ing $unt #$@% d!*K and more.
He does look a bit puffy. It’s very obvious he’s gained. Calling reporters names is unbecoming and churlish. Poor form Jamie.
Really? For some reason I can imagine him calling a male reporter a ‘Bloody bastard!’ or a ‘W*****!’ in the same context. Meh…
You stay classy, Jamie.
LOL! Thanks, needed that today.
I just find that HI-LARIOUS! Ha ha i would soo call her a bitch too. bitch 🙂 ha
He could have handled the situation a little better. Instead of name calling, respectfully say he wasn’t there to discuss his weight.
But seriously, what kind of journalist are you if all you can come up with is..”So you’ve gained a few pounds recently….”. Nice hard hitting questions…
Jamie Oliver is a healthy food/diet advocate, so asking him about his weight gain, even though it doesn’t necessarily mean that he was/is eating unhealthy food, is actually a relevant question.
Geez, people! Lighten up, he’s a chef, not your next presidential candidate. I’m pretty sure he was joking. I guess Americans just don’t get that kind of humor because well, everyone in the US is supposed to be, um, gracious and polite? And if that reporter had been a guy, yeah, he would’ve called him an a*se or an a*shole.
yes, we americans clearly have no sense of humor as a collective. expecting a celebrity to remain professional and not act out like a 5 year old is clearly unreasonable.
I’m Irish, which is a lot closer to GB (geographically and culturally) than the US. I have also lived in the UK.
That was NOT a joke. I have no idea where all these people get the idea that British people go around insulting each other like that. It doesn’t work like that.
He’s an immature brat lashing out because he’s gained weight after lecturing people about allegedly poisoning their children with food.
He’s fair game, and he knows it.
Gigi, I’m American and I actually agree that it was a bitchy move for her to be so petty. PLEASE don’t make ridiculous generalizations as it has nothing to do with where we’re from or our sense of humor. It has everything to do with decorum.
I’m from Ireland and lived in London for awhile. I also don’t think it was amusing.
If he’s going to put himself on the forefront of an eating revolution, then he needs to practice what he preaches and is as fair game as those HE chooses to criticise.
Again, people, lighten up! FFS does no one understand ribbing or tongue-in-cheek anymore? I guess my tone just doesn’t translate as well in words. As for Jamie, he’s always been like that (and I’ve been watching him since he was The Naked Chef), so none of this is really shocking and yes, I’m still pretty sure he was joking. By the way, did it occur to some of you that I might also be (well, half) American?
he’s kind of preachy with the eat healthy angle so his response was a bit douchey. he should have just owned the bloat with a wry “this is what happens when you overindulge” response
He does look doughy and lazy and hungover.
Or maybe medicated? I don’t know, it doesn’t look like the weight you gain as you get older, he looks kinda bloated. Anyway, I can see why he got annoyed, but name calling isn’t right. Don’t stoop to that level, is what I say.
I have always loved Jamie since the first “Naked chef” series. He was so young and cute, anyway I just I would give him a pass because I would call her a bitch too!
Me too! I’ve been a fan since he was a young man too. He’s very talented! I will give him a pass here because it was a rude question. No, it doesn’t have anything to do with his health. Are you kidding me? I only wish I could have seen her face when he thanked her for noticing then called her the b word. Eh. I say worse things on a daily basis. It’s just a flippant remark from someone who’s had his feelings hurt.
@Laurabb, ITA.
The temptation to hit back at the journalist with a similar low blow would be to great for me. However, I would like to think I could rise above it and coolly put him or her in their place if I was publicly insulted like that. 😀
He is so santcimonious and patronizing. Love to see him failing at the very thing he thinks he should be teaching.
Really? I’ve never seen that in him.
There is this myth that if you have a healthy lifestyle you will all of a sudden have a model-like stick figure. Not true. Just because he isn’t tiny is in NO WAY evidence that he has been eating unhealthy.
And promoting a healthly lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to have to be 100% strict about it. It just means healthy options should be the majority of what you eat, with some exceptions. You know, moderation.
Couple drinks and a 16 hour flight?
That should do it.
Exactly! I’d cut a biatch for much less after a 16 hour flight. Hahaha. Especially commercial.
Omg…I can’t believe anybody’s taking this seriously. If you know Jamie at all, you’d know it’s his sense of humour, it’s the way he talks, its the way a lot of people talk in the UK. I’ve said it many times, tongue in cheeks folks.
With all his fame and success he has remained the same, he’s certainly not a diva.
He has gained! Good for the reporter who said something!
i agree – a male reporter would not have gotten the equivalent (whatever that is to men). nor would asking a female celebrity about her weight gain be off the table (esp. if she was a chef pushing healthy eating). douche.
How do you know? I’m seriously asking?
Well, at least he isn’t West Virginia-fat yet.
Gosh Molly… I’m a West Virginian and not fat…… try again…
I don’t know that there is a male equivalent to b*tch. It bothers me when men call women b*tches because it’s (mostly) exclusively used for women, and specifically women who step out of traditionally female gender roles. You could say douche is used for men, but it’s not typically used to keep them in line or to reassert some sort of gender identity. Sorry to get all political, but I have feeling I’m not the only one here to feel that way.
I hatehatehatehate this guy.
Normally, I wouldn’t comment on another person’s weight. But if he wants to lecture people and insult parents for what they eat, then he’s fair game.
So:
Fatty fat fat fat!
Signed,
A gorgeous model with flawless body and flawless skin. (Ah, you know what I mean.)
You hatehatehate someone for promoting healthy lifestyle choices? REALLY? That is the most benevelent thing I have ever heard anyone getting hate for.
If he was encouraging people to hurt their children, or bully others I could see your point. He is just saying don’t be afraid of “veg”. What is so offensive about that?
I probably would have called her a B too. It was a rude question.
He likes to lecture people about food and weight and healthy eating.
It was a fair question.
His lectures are about eating REAL food as opposed to the crap that we eat.
Eating real food doesn’t mean you’ll stay slim. But eating nasty artificially enhanced will make you bigger and set off all kinds of health issues.
The difference between a cooked from scratch burger vs McD. And we all know that may not even be real burger meat in a McD. THAT is his point.
Yes, LAK!
You are putting words in my mouth. I AM a woman. That’s why I would’ve called her a B. it’s a rude question for anyone. Pointing out someone weight is a dumb thing to do.
@Nanz01, I understand. It is rude to ask such a question. As a woman I would NEVER allow anyone to get away with that with me!
@Asli,The problem is that so many women continue to accept such question about their bodies, and often part take in inspecting other women’s bodies in relation to weight. That is why women in the public eye pay lip service to it. They think it is what we want to hear and they probably unaware of the significance of it in relation to the continuous put down of women. Please, don’t try to throw that argument at me or others who do not take part in ‘weight-watching’ of other women…
@asli, one last time (I a have dissertation to complete :D), like I said above (this is so confusing) he is promoting fresh, homemade food. Slim doesn’t equal healthy. When he’s obese (he is probably a little overweight at the moment) call me, and I will agree with the journalist for asking and yourself.
@Asli, LOL! Thanks. It’s due in 4 weeks from now (8-12,000 words to complete) and I haven’t started the research! Thankfully I am ready to start! I couldn’t stop myself from picking up books and journals on my chosen subject, so I wasted a lot of time! 😀
Where did people get this idea that two wrongs make a right?
It is rude to ask a woman about her weight.
It is rude to ask a man about his weight.
@Tiffany, ITA!
I don’t mind his response. Talk about a rude question! Just like asking someone if they’re pregnant – it’s unconscionably rude, even if it’s some idiot like Snooki.
Jamie Oliver is a healthy diet advocate. If he has clearly gained weight, even though gaining weight doesn’t mean that he is eating unhealthy food, a journalist really should ask him about it.
He doesn’t have to answer the question, mind you, but a journalist isn’t doing their job if they don’t ask about something like this. If someone does something, or appears to be doing something, that goes against what they say they are doing or advocating, they get called on it. That’s what the journalist was doing when she asked that question, and she was right to do it.
Personal questions about one’s body are incredibly rude. If he was caught bingeing at McDonald’s, it might be appropriate to question that. PLus, he’s hardly gained a LOT of weight.
@jc126: I will explain what I mean:
I don’t think Jaime has really gotten fat. From what I’ve seen of him, he’s always had a cute, slightly chubby/baby fat look about him, and gaining a little weight (if he did) certainly isn’t a problem, nor does it mean that he’s doing things that go against what he advocates.
Body weight can be, and often is, a personal matter, but when one puts themselves in the healthy eating habits and healthy lifestyle arena – an arena that is linked to weight – one is going to be questioned about it; it is no longer completely personal, simply because of their position.
If the person in this arena gets slimmer or buffer, or changes in a way that is seen as healthy, they will be praised for it and asked questions like, “How did you do it”, and “You look fantastic, what’s your secret?”. If that same person gains weight, even if it’s just enough to be noticable, they will get asked questions like the one we are discussing right now.
Given what Jamie Oliver advocates, and the weight that he seemed to put on, however little it was, the question he was asked by that woman was apt.
Was the question rude? Maybe. Was it apt? Yes. Does he have to answer it, or even be nice? No.
c*ke bloat.
But you think it’s appropriate for her to ask about his weight gain?? No.
oops, double post incident occurring…
@WillyNilly & Asli
I agree with both of you. No the reporter should not have asked about his weight gain. And no women celebrities shouldn’t be asked either.
It is better to take those questions out of the equation all together instead of raving at someone who rebels against them.
Rather than hating on Oliver, I think celebrities everywhere, particularly women, should take a leaf out of his book and also tell reporters who ask those questions to f*ck off.
And happy international women’s day to you too!
@Gretchen, ITA.
@Asli, I stand by what I said originally. IMO, he would have insulted a male journalist just as equally. Not professional, but I don’t think he is sexist or as you put it, a ‘F***ing Douchebag'(nice!).
@Asli, NO ONE should insult anyone like that!
Not everyone has an understanding of the power and meaning behind the word. I don’t think he insulted and dismissed her question because she is a woman (Oh, and bringing up the countless times women are asked about their weight is totally out of context- it’s wrong and annoying, but tied to something completely different). He reacted like that because it was disrespectful. I probably would have been tempted to flip out on her to be honest! I think he just picked an insult and stupidly chose to express it. Not a big deal.
I think Asli’s comment on how women’s bodies seem to be a public commodity open for discussion is completely on point here.
And while it may have been a bit rude for the reporter to ask the question, it shouldn’t have been completely unexpected. He could have made a statement about how health is not exclusively evidenced by weight and he does the best he can like all of us should. He should have been a professional – especially considering he is trying to push a healthy eating campaign for children and families. That language is completely inappropriate. And I also question whether he would have said something that harsh to a male reporter. Even the fact that the Mail felt it was necessary to say ‘a female reporter’ seemed absurd to me. If you use the pronoun ‘she’ saying she was female is redundant and makes it seem as if it’s unusual for a reporter to be female. It’s 2012 for crying out loud. That reminded me of the conversation about subtle or covert homophobia that appeared on a thread a day or two ago.
I honestly don’t think any of this is the end of the world, and I agree with the other posts that say his heart is generally in the right place, but I do think he was being immature and unprofessional.
@Asli, He is promoting fresh, homemade food over ‘MCdonaldized’ garbage. I’m sure his body is in better shape in comparison to someone of the same size who lives on processed foods!
As for your question, scroll down. I have answered why your argument is out of context. If any journalist flat out said a woman has put on weight like that she would have every right to be mad!
oh Asli, the more you type, the bigger the girl crush I have on you
be quiet now Asli you are tedious
Sheesh, dude is like 15lb overweight, tops. Did you see the size the people on his show, whose kids were diabetic because they were so morbidly obese before they hit puberty? There is a big difference, and yeah he annoys the crap out of me too sometimes, but trying to to get kids away from eating pizza and french fries as two of their main food groups every day is not sanctimonious, it is for the health of the next generation. Calling the reporter a b&tch was not classy though.
I would’ve called her a bitch too.
I watched his show and while I agree that the overly processed food in school systems is terrible, what bothered me most was that he didn’t even bother having a realistic menu or budget to really make a change. And perhaps there is no realistic way to serve fresh and real food to children in ways that would be cost effective and edible in their eyes.
Unfortunately for him, even when he’s at his fighting weight, he still has a bit of a double chin. And apparently, any gain goes there first.
Urgh I can’t stand this guy, he used to go to school with my cousin (which by the way was one of the top boarding schools in the country so his ‘geezer’ persona really winds me up) and he was a jumped up little prat then as well. Plus he has lips that you just know will be really wet if you kissed him
People are vastly different from when they are youngsters in school. People change. People grow up.
Yep calling a woman a bitch because she asks you a question you don’t like is really grown up.
Yep calling a woman a bi*ch because she asks you a question you don’t like is really grown up.
You can’t be the face of healthy eating and be overweight…that just oxymoronic. I mean in order to be an “authority” on anything don’t you have to fully embrace that of what you believe? It’s hypocritical at best, and it’s hard to take someone seriously on a professional level who does the opposite of what s/he preaches, advocates and shouts about on his reality show. Creditability diminished? Yeah.
He talks about healthy eating with regards eating REAL food as opposed to enhanced reconstituted rubbish.
He doesn’t tell people to exercise more, eat less etc.
Well eating healthy doesn’t mean no gain weight, it depends how much do you eat :). You can make a pie at home, with all the healthiest ingridients you can find, but if you eat all the pie instead of a single slice you get fat. Plus he is a chef, not a trainer, he is not supposed to be toned. BTW that answer was rude, and totally inappropriate.
You can lead a very healthy lifestyle and still not have a model-like stick figure. Everyone’s “normal” is different.
True. Also, i really don’t think this guy has been scarfing down cheeseburgers and fries. If he’s gained weight, maybe that points to something about human anatomy more than it does something about his character – look at the dismal success rates of diets, for instance.
Eating too much of anything — including “healthy” food — will make you overweight.
He’s still hot. I’d let him pork me (pardon the pun)
🙂
In Jamie’s defense he could have been having a bad day and someone slagging him off on his weight just pushed his buttons. I don’t think it has anything to do with gender and if a guy said it he’d probably call him out too.
He’s only human after all. He has done a lot to bring awareness to the toxins in our food. I don’t think he gets enough credit for that. He is passionate about “real food” and I can’t blame the guy for trying. Jamie has always been a stocky guy and I often wonder if he is not hypothyroid because of his thick and oversized tongue. (don’t laugh, it is one of the symptoms) Also bloating and water retention.
I’m a fan of the guy and overall his intentions are good.
Meh. She was being a bitch when she said that. I respect him for standing his ground and calling her out on her rudeness.
Jamie Oliver is a healthy diet advocate who gained weight. Her question was relevant, and if he gained enough weight for it to be noticed, it needed to be asked – it doesn’t have to be answered, but it does need to be asked.
Further evidence that he thinks his holier than thou healthy food crusade doesn’t apply to him. I reeeeally tried to like him. When he went to schools and tried to get them to serve better food, I was a huge fan of his. Then he started turning into a dick. I saw episodes from his touring America show and he was so insulting! He was supposed to learn from other cultures, and all he did was try to show them why his healthy interpretation of their food was better.
Honestly, if he just spent 5 minutes not assuming he was better than everybody else, people would like him better.
Likely, there’s a good deal of embellishment going on to make the story more gossip-ready. I think they were both out of line, but there’s a whole bunch of logic contortions going on to make one rude person out to be Satan and another one a freedom fighter.
What England is this where not a single person differentiates between work and leisure behaviour?
What’s with the culture of jovial abuse ascribed to England? So, if I end up insulting an Englishman, should I feel grateful that he showed enough restraint to not pistol whip me?
If it’s not a big deal, why are so many people all but ready to put a hit out on this woman? He didn’t like her question…and…? If he wants to pre-approve every single question asked of him, he should let the interviewers know in advance–like Stephen Harper.
She started it: True, but come on, don’t be a four-year-old over it. Let her make herself look dumb if your opposition is so great, why bother getting into a monkey bars fight at work? I’ll assume this was an isolated case because Lord knows it would be exhausting to work somewhere where every moment of tension is addressed only through hissy fit slap fights. ‘Teacher, she butted in line.’ So….?
If I have to consult Simon Schama for A History Of Britain’s Humour to get the joke, I don’t know if there’s a point to the joke. His cause is a good one, but this was a lame response.
All I know is that I am extremely glad he is bringing attention to this. I’ve seen what my daughter’s cafeteria serves as food and it is shameful.
You have to really go out of your way anywhere these days to not eat food that isn’t full of chemicals, preservatives, pesticides, artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oil etc. It’s disgusting and no wonder we have so much cancer, obesity, heart disease, arthritis, allergies etc etc.
Something really does have to give.
Hmph. Kind of spoils his wholesome image a bit. Jamie is meant to be a family man, caring, light hearted, etc. I don’t think calling someone a “bitch” is a serious offence but he’s a professional and he’s been in the public eye for a long time. He really should have handled himself better. I’m kind of over Jamie..
The thing I’m not getting is why it’s rude for the reporter to ask? Don’t we as a collective nit pick on women who gain weight, right here on this blog? Why is it different for him?
I guess it’s hard to hide behind the ‘I’m only thinking of his health’ shield when we know he takes care of himself. I’d also imagine that because he’s not a model, actress, or whatever, it’s not his ‘job’ to be pretty. So, confusingly, he’s held to a lower standard, even as the spokesperson of a healthy eating movement. A woman can snort rails with relish if that’s what it takes for her to look the part of a healthy role model and he gets to live in the real world, where everyone’s weight fluctuates throughout life, because that’s just what a body does.
Yeah. I don’t make the garbage, I just burn it.
I for one have never nitpicked a woman’s weight on this site. Anyone who has should be ashamed.
It is rude when a woman gets critiqued for her weight. It is rude when a man is critiqued for his weight. Why are people trying to justify this?
@Tiffany, ITA again!
Thanks, OMSS! Good to know I am not alone in this. 😉
It’s not different for him. We are a bunch of catty bitches on this site and quite frankly, if a celebrity called us bitches based on some of the stuff we say on here, s/he’d be absolutely correct.
Of course, this woman actually made her comment to his face in a public forum. Any reporter who is not a complete idiot knows that if s/he asks these types of questions, their subject may take offense. I don’t think we need to get outraged on her behalf, she can handle it.
Assuming, of course, that she doesn’t have the sensitivity and professionalism of a preteen girl – if she does, she needs to stick to softball questions in the future.
Well fair enough… if someone brazenly points out your extra flab, and in a public forum, I think you have the right to snark back a little.
I love him! He can cook up an old shoe, so it looks tempting.
I think it’s fantastic that he is struggling to get schoolchildren to eat better food
and I have only heard praise about his person by people who have met him.
I went back to my hometown for Xmas and found out my hair stylist I frequented in High School was back at the mall salon. I haven’t seen her since I was 15 so about 11 years…anyway, the first thing she says to me is “Wow you got so big since i last saw you. what happened chica you are fat!” She’s from Guatemala so I try to excuse the harshness by the fact her english is sometimes spotty but I was mortified because it was soo loud and everyone looked at me. Ok, I’m a size 10 now and not a size 4 like I was my freshman year of High school…who is? I love the way she does my hair but I refuse to go back because I was so embarrassed.
I love Jaime but he’s been porking up or on the edge of porking up for a long time. And I think he would have called the reporter an ass or something else if it were a man. I don’t believe it was a sexist response at all.
I’m from Australia – and actually attended Jamie’s q&a on Tuesday and didn’t think he looked fat!
Anyway, I first read this story on one of the Australian news sites and they included the word “quipped” after the quote. So I think he was joking around. I’ve attempted to include the link as my “website”.
So he can dish it out (pun intended) but obviously cant take it! And what man with any decency calls a woman a bitch? Unless he said it jokingly which still isnt very classy to use that word.
I’m Australian. Austalian media doesn’t pander to celebrities the way the US media in particular do. The reporter called it as she saw it. Gordon Ramsay abused an extremely well-respected reporter (Tracy Grimshaw) and she took him to task. So did the public. He’s been on the nose here ever since. Celebrities can’t come over here and talk nonsense and expect to get away with it. Get over it Jamie, mate! We still like him but he needs to be honest. He could have simply said “yes” or had a funny quip and everyone would have been happy.
Tracy Grimshaw is extremely well respected? HA! She peddles racist tabloid trash.
Reporters ask those questions. Other people think it and reporters ask it. If he wants to preach, then he should be fit to preach, period.
You mean “it went to his face” after passing and staying a good deal in his stomach and chest area, right?
I don’t understand why everyone is equating him having gained a few pounds, with not “practicing what he preaches” regarding healthy eating. Amazingly enough, you can gain a few pounds even if you aren’t leading an unhealthy lifestyle. Should he have called her a bitch? probably not, but it’s not particularly polite to publicly accuse someone of hypocrisy because they had the gall to gain a few pounds.
I don’t understand the number of people who are offended by someone saying that eating vegetables and less-processed food is good for you. That is not an offensive thing.
Food related illnesses are costing the United States a FORTUNE! The most commonly taken prescription drugs are also the most expensive and they ALL deal with food related illness: prescriptions for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.
You might not feel that way about him, but you must be missing all of the posts where people say that they “hatehatehate him”, or call him “santcimonious and patronizing” because he promotes a healthier lifestyle. There are a ton of posts saying things similar to that.
I think the whole “Bi*ch” comment has totally been blown out of context. If you’ve seen anything of Jamie on TV whether it be his own shows or appearances on others he swears like a trooper anyway. Maybe it is an English thing but saying Bi*ch like that isn’t really an insult over here.
He was clearly joking, and yeah, I think he would have made some kidding, irreverent insult to a male reporter in the same situation.
Dude has the body type that — however healthy — tends toward softness. When he started his healthy eating campaign, he had to know this was coming.
what a douchebag.
He is a public figure who is literally in everyone’s face about healthy eating so I do not find the reporter’s question as inappropriate.
I am really getting sick and tired of liberal and conservative men calling women bitches,c**ts,sl*ts and tw**ts just because a woman asks him an uncomfortable question or has a different view point than the superior male!! He is a professional adult male who should have enough sense not to refer to a female reporter as a bitch.
On the flip side, if a male reporter asked a female chef about the few pounds she gained, the female population will be calling him a pig.
Jamie’s always been assholic and that’s been part of his appeal to me (do NOT get me started on my own relationships!) — probably why I also love Anthony Bourdain. I have several of JO’s cookbooks — gifts! — and there are some really good, fairly easy-to-make recipes in them.
That being said, JO should have kept his mouth shut or kissed up to the Aussies and said it was the beer and meat pies I’d been enjoying for the past few weeks. Like garvels just said above, “He is a public figure who is literally in everyone’s face about healthy eating so I do not find the reporter’s question as inappropriate.”
To me, it’s kind of like seeing Britney Spears shilling for Pepsi, but then drinking a Coke…
I was there and it was an instore promo. He definitely said it in a jokey way and she was the only person in the audience who didnt seem like a genuine member of the public with a real question, so clearly his hunch that she was a reporter was spot on. Can’t stress enough how much his entire response was friendly and jokey.
And his apparebt booze up the night before was at Cumulus Inc, a fabulous, award winning restauarant.
I don’t know what Englishmen you refer to in this article but in the part of England I’m from (and I’m not posh by any stretch of the imagination) the word c**t is not acceptable. Don’t generalise us by what people like Gordon Ramsay might say and do. He uses profanity to sell his products and TV shows. Us ordinary folk do not.
NO Gentleman Never uses that utmost responsless word ***** to Any Lady! Forgiveness is there now and ever forgotten! Mr: Oliver! Ye should definately ask fer fergiveness in all counts! TO that Lady that of which ye remarked it! I shame meself fer hearing this in the honours of UK and GB! And Scotland/Wales!
I Live by the “Gentleman’s creed!” ♥