Jamie Oliver unveils magical kitchen transformation at £6m home amid publishing scandal
Jamie Oliver has unveiled his go-to Christmas kitchen transformation at the £6 million Essex home he shares with his wife Jools and their five children.
The Channel 4 chef's rustic kitchen, one of the most special rooms at his Spains Hall abode, was given a festive transformation complete with twinkling fairy lighting lining the shelves.
Mistletoe and fir branches adorned the shelves, with pretty orange and red ornaments adding a splash of colour.
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Jamie, 49, had lit several candles to add to the Yuletide atmosphere as he got to work on his Christmas Day meal prep.
The hands-on chef was seen turning his son River, now eight, upside down and was clearly mid-cooking since he boasted a patch of flour on his shirt.
"There are only 6 more Mondays until Christmas and if this pic of me and River doesn't sum up the difference between how parents and kids feel at this news I don't know what will ha ha ha. Big love everyone I hope you all have a fab week," he wrote in the accompanying Instagram caption.
Jamie and Jools, along with River and his siblings Daisy Boo and Poppy Honey (when they're not at university) and Buddy Bear and Petal Blossom, moved to their property in Finchingfield, Essex back in 2019 in order to enjoy a quieter pace of life away from London.
The sprawling, Grade II listed home, which dates back to the 17th century, is built on 70 acres of land and features ten bathrooms, two drawing rooms and a great hall
There is also another six-bedroom farmhouse, three-bedroom lodge and converted stables on the grounds.
Jamie's publishing scandal
Jamie has been lying low since being forced to pull his children's book from shelves after it was criticised by Indigenous organisations in Australia for propagating "harmful stereotypes".
The fiction novel, Billy and the Epic Escape, centres around an Aboriginal girl with mystical powers living in foster care who is abducted from her home in central Australia.
First Nations leaders have said the book trivialises the "complex and painful" history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Jamie issued a statement last week which read: "I am devastated to have caused offence and apologise wholeheartedly. It was never my intention to misinterpret this deeply painful issue. Together with my publishers, we have decided to withdraw the book from sale."
Penguin Random House also released an apology, saying: "Our mission at Penguin Random House UK is to make books for everyone and with that commitment comes a deep sense of responsibility.
"It is clear that our publishing standards fell short on this occasion, and we must learn from that and take decisive action.
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"With that in mind, we have agreed with our author, Jamie Oliver, that we will be withdrawing the book from sale."
