Naked chef Jamie Oliver gets C4 TRIBUTE show as 1,000 of his staff lose jobs due to restaurant empire collapsing
THE idea of celebrating Jamie Oliver is likely to leave a bad taste in the mouths of the 1,000 people who lost their jobs when his restaurant empire collapsed.
Despite this, Channel 4 is pressing on with a gushing tribute marking his two decades as a celeb chef.
Fronted by Davina McCall, 20 Years Of The Naked Chef: Jamie Bares All will chart his rise to fame — Turkey Twizzlers and all. The 60-minute docu will feature interviews with his famous mates and a look inside his luxurious London home.
It will also briefly address the “elephant in the room” with a segment touching on the closure of 22 of his restaurants last month. It followed the revelation in 2018 that the business was £71.5million in debt.
A TV insider said: “The timing of the programme couldn’t be worse. The show was already in production before his restaurants folded and at that point it was going to be a slushy, back-slapping tribute.
“Although the documentary is set to address his restaurant chain collapse, the mainly positive tone will rub salt in the wound for those ex-employees who were shown the door.”
Jamie said of the programme: “I hope everyone enjoys looking back with me at the past two decades, remembering the amazing times and some tough times . . . not to mention a few dodgy haircuts along the way.”
Those who got the chop may want to turn over to Love Island instead.
READ ON FOR MORE OF ANDY HALLS' BIZARRE TV COLUMN
Here we gloat, here we gloat, here we gloat...
PIERS Morgan was never going to be modest about his celebrity team winning Soccer Aid, and sure enough the motormouth taunted Good Morning Britain co-host and opposing team captain Susanna Reid on Monday, dancing round the studio with the team trophy to Abba’s The Winner Takes It All.
But Susanna could still get the last laugh, as Piers is about to be tested for psychopathic tendencies in his ITV documentary Psychopath With Piers Morgan, to be shown on June 27.
He told Radio Times: “You may prove I am a bona fide psychopath when we do this test, that actually I hover close to the button.
“We’re all mad, aren’t we?
“I interview all these psychopaths and killers but I think everyone has a slight screw loose.
“It’s a matter of how it manifests itself and how you can control it.”
Piers’s most famous interviewee is Donald Trump and he said: “People call Trump a psychopath. He’s not, he’s more of a narcissist.
“I think I have – like Trump – a chilling self-belief and self-confidence. If that makes me a narcissist, I plead guilty.”
I’d worry more about the results of that psychopath test if I were you, Piers.
bizbit
MORE names have been announced for upcoming Netflix drama Criminal, which spans four countries. Broadchurch’s David Tennant will join Hayley Atwell and Katherine Kelly in the 12-part crime thriller.
Top Gear trio off to racing start
TOP Gear made an impressive return to our screens on Sunday with 2.8million tuning in to see the show’s new presenters.
Petrolheads Paddy McGuinness and Freddie Flintoff joined Chris Harris to provide a much-needed breath of fresh air to the format.
But there were still echoes of the banter that made former hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond such a hit with fans. That was particularly when the new trio raced each other across Ethiopia in their first cars – a Ford Escort, a Mini and Porsche Boxster.
It is fair to say the BBC2 show has been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride in fortunes, which former England cricket ace Freddie acknowledged by saying: “Top Gear has had more rebirths than Doctor Who.”
But the guys should not worry too much, I reckon the programme is back to its former glory.
bizbit
THE director of new ITV period drama Beecham House, which starts on Sunday, says she added more topless shots of actor Leo Sutter after she saw how good he looked. She admitted: “We’re competing with Poldark!”
Nick and David in the nick
SO far Nick Tilsley and David Platt have survived a fraught relationship as half-brothers in Coronation Street.
Now they will see their bond tested to the limit when they both end up in jail.
The ITV soap’s latest shock storyline will naturally leave their mother Gail McIntyre (Helen Worth) having kittens over the fate of Nick (Ben Price) and David (Jack P Shepherd).
The scenes, which are expected to be shown later this month, will see Nick suffer more, as he ends up having to deal with some seriously hard criminals during his time in prison.
His mum should help to handle them – most of her ex-husbands have been conmen or murderers.
must watch
WHAT? Ackley Bridge, Channel 4, 8pm.
WHY? In a new series of the school drama Nas gets an interview to study at Oxford and Mandy is left struggling when she has to cope with a group of unruly pupils.
most read in bizarre
soapbox
In NEIGHBOURS Andrea decides to allow Heather to stay, Toadie organises a place at Erinsborough High for Willow and, despite his closeness to Elly, Shaun tells Mark that he will leave town.
In EMMERDALE Amy is thrown into panic and Moira jumps into action over Kyle.
EASTENDERS’ Keanu threatens to tell Louise about his affair with Sharon and and Tiffany suggests Bernadette should start online dating.
In HOME AND AWAY Robbo realises he needs to sort himself out before committing to Jasmine, while Mason quarrels with Tori and Justin.