Year off for 'burnt out' Jamie

TV chef Jamie Oliver has been left so exhausted by his attempts to turn 15 jobless youngsters into chefs alongside him in his television series that he is to take a year away from the medium.

The experience of getting his £1.2million restaurant 15 in East London off the ground with the young hopefuls has left him 'burnt out'.

The programmes' executive producer Daisy Goodwin said: 'Jamie has grown up a lot. But some of that enthusiasm has been lost in trying to make the restaurant work and in trying to get the kids out of bed, having two small children and being a chef.

'Bitterly disappointed'

'He tried so hard to get those kids to turn around. There's a realisation that you can do your best but there are some people who won't come through. He's bitterly disappointed.'

Miss Goodwin said: 'We hope he'll want to come and work with us again when he's back.'

However she said it was unlikely that Oliver will return to front a traditional cookery show, such as the Naked Chef, which she said would 'feel a bit yesterday'.

He has also recently signed a £1million contract to represent Sainsbury's for another year.

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