Jamie Oliver thinks dyslexic children should be considered "lucky".

Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver

The 42-year-old TV chef was classed as a "special needs" child at school and has claimed the condition - which makes it difficult to read accurately and fluently - has been the key to his money-spinning career.

Jamie, who has sold more than £150 million worth of cookbooks, explained: "I genuinely think that when someone says to you, 'Johnny's got dyslexia', you should get down on your knees, shake the child's hand and say, 'Well done, you lucky, lucky boy.'"

Jamie believes dyslexia has helped him to look at life from a unique perspective and has also enabled him to solve some tricky problems.

He told the Radio Times: "If I'm in a meeting I just see the problems different and I obsess about things differently. Some bits of work need to be sweated over and cried over and crafted.

"Because I'm dyslexic, sometimes, when it requires a load of stuff to be done, I just do it. It's like I'm a massive, ten-tonne boulder rolling down the hill."

Meanwhile, Jamie recently revealed he regrets having to decline the opportunity to cook for former Cuban leader Fidel Castro because of his jam-packed schedule.

The British star admitted he wasn't necessarily a supporter of the controversial revolutionary - who passed away in November 2016 - but he regrets spurning the once-in-a-lifetime chance.

He shared: "One of the biggest regrets in my culinary life was that I was asked to cook for the Cuban premier Fidel Castro, but my diary wouldn't allow it."

Castro led the Cuban revolution in the 1950s and was one of the most divisive figures of the 20th century.

Jamie added: "Not that I'm in favour of communism, but he was an interesting guy."


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