London - He has already built a £100-million restaurant and cookbook empire and is single-handedly trying to tackle the world’s obesity crisis.
But while Jamie Oliver’s tireless work ethic may have brought him fame and fortune, the 36-year-old has admitted it isn’t exactly a recipe for domestic bliss.
The father-of-four says his packed schedule and endless campaigning frustrate his wife Jools, 37, and she often “doesn’t get” what he does.
“We love each other to bits, but I don’t think marriage is easy,” Oliver said in an interview. “We’re sort of caught in a bit of a rut. She doesn’t necessarily get every project that I do.
“She’s like, ‘But why do you care? If you’re not going over there and doing it for money, then why do you care?’.”
Oliver confessed that he struggles to balance work demands with his home life, and says it is “normal” to be in trouble with his wife of 11 years.
“I take sufficient weekends and holidays a year for any British woman, but that doesn’t mean I get thanked. I get asked to take more,” he said. “You could get another week off a year and it wouldn’t make any difference. You’d still get a b******ing.
“I get a b******ing all the time and I’m on seven weeks’ holiday a year, with most weekends off.”
Oliver frequently travels across Europe for his food shows, and has more recently spent time in America to launch an anti-obesity campaign - but his wife doesn’t always welcome news of his next project.
He said: “I try not to tell her, really. She’s a wonderful person, kind, and she’s very sweet and sensitive and caring.
“But if I come home and give the 360 on everything I’m doing, then all I’ll do is another eight-hour day. I’m not a worrier, but she worries about a lot of what I do. I don’t need that, and she don’t need that.”
Despite their disagreements, Oliver said: “To be fair, she is an amazing mum, but you know what? I think she’s too good, and I think that’s a problem.
“Like she can’t delegate, she can’t give a little bit.” He added: “She’s ****ing knackered. She hasn’t been away without the kids for eight years.”
The couple have four children: Poppy Honey, nine, Daisy Boo, eight, Petal Blossom, two and Buddy Bear, one. - Daily Mail