Jamie's US TV break - Feb 25 2008
Jamie Oliver has apparently been given his big break on US TV by Oprah Winfrey.

The chat show queen has made the British TV chef one of the main judges on her new, non-food related reality show.

Oprah and Jamie front the panel on new ABC prime-time series, Oprah's Big Give, who will give money to contestants to use to help people in need.

Jamie's panel will give a special prize to the contestant they feel has the most inventive and inspirational way of helping others.

An on-set source told the Daily Express that Jamie, 32, is already proving very popular in rehearsals, and executive producer Ellen Rakieten added: "He's very funny and adorable."

Meanwhile, Jamie recalls his embarrassing first encounter with Oprah when he appeared on her chat show five years ago.

He said: "I was supposed to ride on to the set on my scooter but the studio floor was really polished and I soon came off the machine, flew into the air, landed on my chest and slid along the floor with my arms out in some kind of Superman pose, using my chin as a brake.

"I felt a complete idiot but the audience loved it, thought I did it on purpose and gave me a huge cheer."


Jamie show slammed over product plug - Feb 12 2008
Jamie Oliver’s cookery series has been criticised by broadcasting watchdog Ofcom for plugging a product in his own range.

Viewers complained after Jamie made repeated references to and demonstrated the use of the Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker in Channel 4 series Jamie At Home.

Jamie’s TV company, Fresh One Productions, made the series, featuring his recipes and gardening tips. Ofcom’s ruled two episodes fell foul of TV guidelines that rule "undue prominence" mustn’t be given to any product/service.

Jamie makes money from his £15 Flavour Shaker, which mixes ingredients into marinades.

On the September 18 episode last year, Jamie referred to the product by name before spending almost two minutes demonstrating how to make an oil with it. There were several close-ups of it. During the October episode, while Jamie prepared another meal, there was another verbal and visual reference to it. In the September episode Jamie did tell viewers they could use a food processor or pestle and mortar instead.

But Ofcom stated the references were "unduly prominent and consequently in breach" of the broadcasting code.

"Overall the focus on the product went beyond the level of prominence usually given to a basic kitchen utensil", it said.

It ruled there was "insufficient editorial justification for the combined way" the utensil was referred to and shown. Ofcom said Channel 4 had failed to check the programme complied with the code.

Channel 4 said it would apply closer scrutiny to programmes bought from other companies. It admitted the references were "unduly prominent" but argued the use of the utensil was editorially justified.

Jamie making cookery programme for kids - Feb 8 2008
Jamie Oliver is making a cookery-style TV show for children.

The celeb chef, who tried to turn around the eating habits of the nation’s schoolchildren with Jamie’s School Dinners, hopes the series will get children interested in food.

Made With Magic combines computer-generated imagery (CGI) with live action and is set in a fantasy woodland.

Jamie, 32, is an executive producer of the series, which is being made by his TV company Fresh One, but isn’t expected to appear in the show. The programme, on Nickelodeon’s pre-school digital TV channel Nick Jr, is designed to make children curious about where food comes from and will be filmed in the UK this year.