Jamie Oliver says financial crisis that saw restaurants go bust was the ‘worst time of his life’

He was hit by financial struggles in 2017 that saw his restaurant chain Jamie’s Italian narrowly avoid bankruptcy, just months before his Barbecoa steakhouses went into administration. 

Recalling the difficult period, Jamie Oliver has said it was ‘the worst time of his life’ as he fought to save his restaurant empire amid ongoing monetary woes. 

In an interview with The Sun, the chef, 43, recalled how he was forced to come up with £13million of his own money to save failing chain Jamie’s Italian, before it all ‘went to sh*t’ – as well as discussing his wife Jools’ plans to have another baby. 

Despite saving Jamie’s Italian, 12 branches of the 37 restaurants were forced to close and left the culinary star squaring up money owed to their suppliers.  

He told the publication he ‘paid them all’ after securing his restaurant chain and admitted that juggling his various enterprises – which include campaigning, books, TV series and his own line of kitchen utensils, as well as his eateries – had left him in a bad place. 

Revealing it all got too much, Jamie said: ‘I think I’m generally known for being optimistic, bubbly and definitely glass half full, but one day I felt sad and for a bit too long. 

‘It wasn’t depression, but I was a bit stupid – I wasn’t sleeping much.’

Trouble: The chef, 43, was hit by financial trouble that saw his restaurant chain Jamie’s Italian narrowly avoid bankruptcy, months before his Barbecoa steakhouses went into administration

Tough: Oliver was forced to come up with £13million of his own money to save failing chain Jamie’s Italian, before it all ‘went to sh*t’

Jamie revealed that he was surviving his packed working schedule on three to four hours a sleep a night and his poor routine eventually ‘caught up with me’. 

After learning that sleep is critical when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle both in the gym and for nutritional purposes, the father-of-five has since overhauled his routine and follows a strict bedtime plan that sees him retire at 10pm every night. 

In 2017, Jamie was forced to pump £13million into his Jamie’s Italian restaurant chain just two hours before it would have been declared bankrupt. 

Despite his financial backing, some of the chain’s restaurants were still forced to close and 600 members of staff were made redundant in a bid to save the namesake – with Jamie insisting the closures were ‘necessary’ in a bid to save the rest of the chain and over 1500 jobs.

Deal: Jamie’s Italian chain was saved through a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) – some branches were still forced to close in a ‘necessary move’ to save the chain and 1600 jobs

Crash: Months later, Jamie’s Barbecoa steakhouses in London went into administration, – the Piccadilly eatery closing down while the St. Paul’s branch was saved in a last-minute deal

The chain had run into financial trouble and was on the brink of collapse, with Jamie revealing in an interview with the Financial Times that it had ‘simply run out of cash’ and had run up £71.5million in debt.

He stated: ‘We hadn’t expected it. That is just not normal, in any business.

‘I honestly don’t know [what happened]. We’re still trying to work it out, but I think that the senior management we had in place were trying to manage what they would call the perfect storm: rents, rates, the high street declining, food costs, Brexit, increase in the minimum wage. There was a lot going on.’

The Jamie’s Italian chain was saved through a company voluntary arrangement (CVA).

Months later, Jamie’s Barbecoa steakhouses in London went into administration, with the Piccadilly eatery closing down while the St. Paul’s branch was saved in a last-minute deal.

Difficulties: Jamie told The Sun that juggling his various enterprises – which include campaigning, books, TV series and his own line of kitchen utensils – had left him in a bad place and unable to sleep

Expanding their brood? Jamie also discussed his wife Jool’s (pictured above in 2016) desires to have another baby – their sixth – as he joked: ‘I’m going to try and control that one’ 

Meanwhile, in his recent interview with The Sun, Jamie also touched on family life and his wife Jools – who he has been with since he was 18 years old – and her desires to have another baby. 

A new addition would bring their brood to a total of six, as the married couple are already parents to Poppy, 16, Daisy, 15, Petal, nine, Buddy, eight, and River, two. 

Jamie quipped: ‘I’m going to try to control that one… but I have to try to control myself, which I’m not very good at.’

He claimed that he thinks ‘five is enough’ children, despite others insisting he has one more. 

Speaking to OK! magazine in May 2018, Jamie revealed how Jools has always wanted a big family.

‘Since Jools was 18, a big family was the only thing she wanted. When she said big, I thought she meant two kids!’ he said.

Big family: Jamie and Jools [Juliette née Norton] share daughters Poppy, 16, Daisy, 15, Petal, 9, and sons Buddy, eight, and River, two 

Father-of-five: The TV personality previously joked that his wife had always wanted a big family, telling OK! magazine: ‘When she said big, I thought she meant two kids’

The TV personality also joked that his daughters are of the age where they will soon be venturing into ‘boyfriend land’.

‘We’re nearly getting into boyfriend land and we’re the first generation of parents learning about kids using social media and it’s tough,’ Jamie admitted.

‘Jools and I monitor them quite closely, because if they use a phone I pay for, under my roof, then I want to see what they’re doing. We’re strict-ish.’

Jamie and Jools married in 2000, after eight years of dating. They tied the knot in a ceremony held at All Saints Church in Rickling, Essex, before hosting family and friends at a lavish marquee reception held at Jamie’s parent’s house.

He has since said that the couple are planning to renew their wedding vows for their 20th anniversary in 2020. Speaking to Event magazine, Jamie said: ‘Jools wants to get married again. We’ll do it completely differently. 

‘It sounds a bit cheesy, but 20 is an amazing milestone. It’s nice to have an excuse to get people together.’

Married: Jamie and Jools wed in 2000, after eight years of dating, and plan to renew their vows for their 20th anniversary (pictured above on their wedding day in June 2000)