Yahoo News Jamie Oliver apologises and withdraws book after causing offence
Jamie Oliver has issued an apology and retracted a children's title he authored after facing backlash for the book's portrayal of First Nation Australians. Esteemed as one among many celebrities who've ventured into children's literature, Oliver's work, entitled 'Billy And The Epic Escape,' received criticism for its subplot set in Australia which was deemed disrespectful by critics, including the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation (Natsiec), as per the report by the Guardian.
They lambasted the narrative that featured a First Nations girl in foster care for perpetuating "erasure, trivialisation, and stereotyping of First Nations peoples and experiences". Oliver, aged 49, expressed his regret with "I am devastated to have caused offence and apologise wholeheartedly."
Further emphasizing his initial intentions, he added, "It was never my intention to misinterpret this deeply painful issue. Together with my publishers we have decided to withdraw the book from sale."
READ MORE: Dua Lipa cancels concert due to 'safety issues with staging'
A spokesperson for the publisher, Penguin Random House, commented on the matter, stating, "Our mission at Penguin Random House UK is to make books for everyone and with that commitment comes a deep sense of responsibility."
Acknowledging the lapse in their publishing norms, they conceded, "It is clear that our publishing standards fell short on this occasion, and we must learn from that and take decisive action."
In line with this reflective stance, "With that in mind, we have agreed with our author, Jamie Oliver, that we will be withdrawing the book from sale."
Last year, Oliver launched his first children's book, Billy And The Giant Adventure, and in a social media post, he stated that he had "carefully chosen the font to make sure the text is as clear as possible" because, as a dyslexic person, he understands the difficulties some people face when reading. The renowned chef has hosted numerous TV shows, including Jamie’s Easy Christmas (2022), Jamie Cooks The Mediterranean (2023) and Jamie: Fast And Simple, which started airing on Channel 4 recently.
In the early 2000s, he was famously known as The Naked Chef, following his 1999 book and TV series of the same name. He has been a long-time advocate for children’s food and nutrition, causing a stir in 2005 when he criticised turkey twizzlers in school meals, aiming to improve the healthiness of school dinners.
Earlier this year, he marked the 15th anniversary of his food education programme, the Ministry of Food, which provides lessons on cooking and eating healthy food in schools and communities across the UK.
