Jamie Oliver has dyslexia, but he doesn’t let it stop him from being called one of the world’s greatest chefs. In grade school, Oliver was placed in special needs classrooms for five years because he struggled in his classes. In an interview with Celebrity Radio, he admitted that he couldn’t really blossom in school and his dyslexia deeply affected his school performance. He doesn’t think that the school or he really recognized his dyslexia while in grade school, and he wasn’t given the proper supplementary or alternative help needed for him to excel in school. Now 39, Jamie Oliver believes that we have a much better understanding of dyslexia, and thinks that the present day academic system is much better suited to help students struggling with learning disabilities.
Even though academics weren’t really Oliver’s place to shine, he knew that he worked well with his hands and didn’t let his school work damper his drive to succeed. He started working in restaurants at an early age, and excelled at it. “Being dyslexic or having special needs is not an excuse or reason for you not to prosper,” Oliver said while explaining that his school work was poor but his work experience in the kitchen was quickly improving. Jamie Oliver didn’t let his dyslexia slow down his career, and now he’s recognized as a world famous celebrity chef.
If you want to listen to Jamie Oliver speak more on his dyslexia, you can listen to an interview here.
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