Jamie Oliver has opened up about the deeply personal reality of raising a neurodivergent family, revealing for the first time that all five of his children have been diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD, or autism in the past year.
Speaking ahead of his powerful new Channel 4 documentary Jamie’s Dyslexia Revolution, the 50-year-old celebrity chef—who himself has dyslexia—shared that his children’s diagnoses have sparked difficult but enlightening conversations between him and his wife, Jools.
Together for over two decades and parents to Poppy (23), Daisy (22), Petal (16), Buddy (14), and River (8), the couple now spend every night discussing how to best support their children, who they say “see the world differently.”
“Imagine four neurodivergent people trying to speak at dinner—it’s chaotic but eye-opening,” Jamie said, adding that becoming aware of their differences has made him a better father.
Recalling his own school days, Jamie emotionally reflected on being labelled a “stupid dunce” and said he was left feeling “worthless” due to the lack of understanding around dyslexia at the time.
In his new programme, Jamie will call for sweeping reforms in the education system, urging for early dyslexia screening and mandatory neurodiversity training for teachers. “There were no tools for people like me back then,” he explained. “Just extra tutoring—no real understanding.”
He has already met with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson to discuss change, admitting this campaign feels even harder than his earlier mission to reform school meals in Britain.
The documentary, set to air this month, aims to expose how far schools have come—and how far they still need to go—in supporting neurodivergent children.
