Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has revealed in a recent interview that he was ‘spat on’ by angry pupils due to backlash from his healthy school dinners campaign, which led to the banning of turkey twizzlers in 2005.
Appearing on the 12 Questions podcast with Fraser T Smith, the famous chef revealed how his successful attempt to ban turkey twizzlers from schools as a way of ensuring pupils had access to healthier meals resulted in verbal and physical abuse. Speaking on the podcast, Oliver said: ‘When I was walking around schools as a 28-year-old, I was getting so much abuse. I had so much DNA on my back every day when I got home… it was proper filth.’
The abuse has not stopped over the years either, with Oliver going on to recall a recent incident at the zoo with his family: ‘It’s funny, I was in the zoo the other day when they opened up again, with my kids, and you know two metres away they go: “That’s Jamie Oliver over there.”
‘And the girl goes: “Yeah, I don’t like him, he’s a f**king a**ehole.” And my kids are right next to me and hearing it as well, it’s a metre and a half away. As I walk away, she goes to me: “Have you tried those new Turkey Twizzlers?” and I went: “No, I haven’t,” and she goes: “Well, they’re horrible!”
‘I said “You probably wouldn’t like the original ones then,” and she goes: “No I did, and you took them, you stole them away from me!”’
Turkey Twizzlers were re-introduced to supermarkets last year, with an improved turkey content of 67-70%, but are unlikely to make a return as a school dinner favourite.
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