Jamie Oliver ‘grew up wearing Nottingham Forest shirt because dad was stingy’

Video: Iain Chambers spoke to Jamie Oliver ahead of his restaurant’s festive menu launch

Jamie Oliver says he grew up wearing a Nottingham Forest shirt – though not because he’s a closet Reds fan.

The superstar chef was in the city on Wednesday (November 1) as his restaurant Jamie’s Italian launched its festive menu ahead of the Christmas period.

He spoke to Notts TV about his love for the county and an unlikely relationship with Nottingham Forest,

Jamie said: “When I grew up, we had a local football club in my Essex village and my dad ran the football club.

“He was really stingy so he bought the cheapest football outfits that he could get and for my whole childhood, I spent it wearing Nottingham Forest football outfits.

“Theoretically, I am an original Nottingham Forest supporter.

“I don’t know what Nottingham Forest was doing in Essex but maybe it was a plan to get more supporters to come in.”

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Jamie Oliver said he ‘grew up wearing Nottingham Forest shirt’ because dad was ‘stingy’

He described Nottinghamshire as a ‘beautiful part of the world’.

He said: “The county has a great city too which is very buzzy and my restaurant has been here for seven years.

“We’re relaunching it next year and what’s interesting now is that the city has changed completely – the restaurants, the independents.

“Nottingham is really developing and last night, trying to get to sleep, – there were so many students having fun, it was brilliant.”