Jamie Oliver has built a culinary empire. 

He’s a household name in the kitchen, writing 23 cookbooks and selling over 46 million copies. 

Oliver sprung into the spotlight 25 years ago with ‘The Naked Chef’, a BBC Two cooking show that ran for three series.  

He landed the role after he appeared in the background of a BBC documentary about The River Cafe in Fulham, where he was working as a sous-chef at the time.  

Oliver told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking that he got lucky. 

“It was never planned,” he said. 

“I was never even supposed to be there that day ... Someone called in sick.”  

25 years on, Oliver says time has given him a bit more perspective, and he tends to lean more towards experience and wisdom a little more than just enthusiasm. 

Oliver is currently on tour in Australia, performing live shows to promote his newest cookbook ‘Simply Jamie’. Coming from a humble background, the chef told Hosking he never thought he’d be able to travel internationally in this way.  

“I never thought I’d get here,” Oliver said. 

“I just thought it was out of my reach.” 

LISTEN ABOVE